


Forever (and Never)

by Mai_Blade



Series: Mavis Pines [1]
Category: Gravity Falls
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Amorality, Animal Death, Blood and Gore, F/M, Harm to Animals, I Don't Even Know, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Reader Has A Name, Reader is Mavis Pines, Reader-Insert, Unhealthy Relationships
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-07
Updated: 2017-08-15
Packaged: 2018-11-29 02:01:44
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 8
Words: 41,317
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11430840
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mai_Blade/pseuds/Mai_Blade
Summary: Nearly all your life you've known that you're not quite right, not quite normal. You do a fairly good job of pretending to be, and so life has gone on. However, over the course of summer break in Gravity Falls, Dipper and Mabel slowly realize they can no longer ignore the wrongness that dwells just beneath your surface.They go kicking and screaming because they don't want to believe their little sister is anything but just that.





	1. The Beginning

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I no own. You no sue.
> 
> My first time posting on AO3. Nervous, because there's so many awesome stories, but I want to share mine too, even if they're not quite up to par. :P
> 
> So, warnings: 
> 
> 1\. You have a name. 
> 
> 2\. There will be blood, guts, and maybe gore. 
> 
> 3\. I like using symbols to switch between POV's. 
> 
> 4\. I think Mavis murdered canon.
> 
> POV's help chart:
> 
> (words) - Dipper, other, thoughts  
> ( **wordswordswords** ) - your inner thoughts  
> =words= - Mabel  
> [words] - Stan  
> *words* - Gideon
> 
> Uhm... yeah. Let's go.

_There was fire and painful, chaotic cessation of existence, yet not your own._

_Enraged, grieving, betrayed—you denied the other and heard it **R A G E** as you _

_f a d e d . . ._

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Existence. 

 

L i f e t i m e s . . .

 

 

 

 

_He is not **yours.**_

 

 

 

 

_M u l t i p l e p h y s i c a l e x i s t e n c e f a i l u r e s. . ._

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Two wailing voices not your own. Nearby.

 

 

 

 

 

Presence. Warmth. _Siblings._

 

 

 

 

Dada. Mama.

 

 

 

Mab. Mas.

 

 

 

Marks on his forehead. You pat his head with your clumsy, pudgy hand and suddenly Mab is there too and Mas cries.

 

 

Mabel. Mason.

 

 

_Siblings. **Yours.**_

 

 

Life. Learning. Movement.

 

Names.

“Mabel! Mason!”

““Mavis!””

 

You carefully place your toys _just so._

The first time Mabel and Mason roll over your things and don’t fix it is the first time you throw a tantrum. They, and mom, learn.

…Eventually.

 

Childhood.

Holidays.

School.

People.

Life.

 

Mason in a lamb costume.

Mabel laughing, playing with her stuffed animals.

(Mavis arranging the toys as carefully as possible.)

 

Mason stumbling to your rescue when a spider crawls on your leg.

Mabel laughing at your screams and kicking and at Mason being kicked.

Mason removing the spider and kindly patting you on the head before clumsily wiping away your tears.

Mabel giggling and apologizing but still making fun of you.

 

Mason is your **favorite.**

 

Mabel makes you call him Dipper. You agree, telling your brother, “The stars are on your head.”

He pouts, but no one will change their minds about his new nickname.

 

You three share a room, but you and Mabel go from sharing a bed to sharing bunkbeds. She calls dibs on the top. This is fine, because you can hang a sheet up and hide away.

 

Mabel is excited about a play the class is putting on, and her enthusiasm pulls in Dipper. They don’t notice when you break off to investigate a cardboard box with the word ‘free’ on it. A tiny kitten meows up at you. Instantly, you know Mabel would love this kitten. You know Dipper would also find it cute.

Picking it up, you stare at it. Bringing one of your hands up, you pet the small animal, earning happy purrs.

_SNAP_

The small furry body in your hands is no longer a meowing, breathing, living ( _trusting_ ) thing.

You think of Mabel and Dipper. You stare at the dead kitten in your hands.

You think of Dipper.

( **Not Dipper. _Over your dead body._** )

 

The kitten was followed by two more, plus a full-grown stray cat.

Mabel and Dipper have come too close to nearly catching you in the act. Such is their blind trust in their little sister that when they find you with a dead cat in your arms, they instantly believe that you only _found it._ It doesn’t cross their minds at all that the reason it’s dead is because you killed it. No, Mabel only cries over it, and Dipper lectures you on handling dead animals with your bare hands.

Mabel insists on burying it beneath a tree, and the Pines triplets hold a funeral.

 

You’ve wanted to take a knife into the alleyways.

You think of Mabel and Dipper walking in on you mid-action. 

You ask your parents for an instrument to learn.

They get you a violin and lessons.

 

(Mabel tells Dipper it’s weird that Mavis doesn’t really play with them. Dipper tells her that Mavis plays with him just fine. She retorts that reading and watching science TV isn’t playing. He replies that Mavis just likes music and reading better than running around as they do. Mabel mopes and Dipper coaxes Mavis into playing tag.)

 

Dungeons, Dungeons, and More Dungeons. You don’t understand the appeal, nor do you understand the mechanics. Just creating a character is exhausting, and you nearly tell Dipper you don’t want to play.

But he smiles, and you know that you would endure worse just to see him do so.

You play, and while it’s clear that you’re not enthusiastic about it, you keep doing so and Dipper milks it for all it’s worth.

 

Mabel would drag you everywhere if you let her. You don’t, but she tries. When she truly wants you to go somewhere, she enlists Dipper, a completely unfair move as there’s so very little you won’t do for him.

(Mabel knows Dipper is your favorite and she’s jealous, but she’s going to be a good older sister anyway.

Dipper highly suspects he’s your favorite and being chosen over his socially skilled older sister by their beloved younger sister fills him with pride.

Mom and Dad also know that Dipper is your favorite family member and are not above using Dipper when you make motions towards being difficult.)

 

Dipper is your hero. He is the one who saves you from spiders (you don’t tell him you’ve long since gotten over that fear). When you have nightmares, believing that you are afraid of the top bunk, he lets you crawl into his bed. During times of stress, worry, or fear, he is there with words of comfort, even if they are empty. He is the first to come running when you are in trouble or hurt. 

Mabel runs to you too, but she’s always second, and that makes all the difference.

 

(Dipper is pretty sure he’s Mavis’s favorite, and now he suspects he’s Mabel’s favorite by way of being the one most willing to play with her. However, he’s not sure who his favorite sister is, and he hopes and prays they never ask.

Mabel is fun to play with, and she’s silly, cheerful and optimistic; but she makes fun of him for the things he likes.

Mavis is quiet, likes to read the mystery novels he finishes, and she plays D, D, and More D with him; but she’s hard to get to know, his own _sister_ , and there’s something scary about the way she holds grudges against other people.

He loves them both, they’re his sisters, but while he’s the favorite of both, he’s not sure who _his_ favorite is. He hopes he never has to choose because he’s not sure he could.)

 

A decade.

You sing the birthday song individually for Mabel and Dipper, but they sing together for you.

 

(Mabel is social and loves unicorns and sweaters.

Dipper—Mason—is smart and likes puzzles and mysteries.

Mavis is quiet and likes to read and practice her violin.

How lucky they are, to have such wonderful children who get along so well.)

 

You like many things.

You dislike many things.

 

In order of priority:

Dipper’s life.

Your life.

Mabel’s life.

Mom’s life.

Dad’s life.

 

Mabel and Dipper have friends.

You hang out on the edges of their social circles and pass it off as having friends of your own outside of Mabel and Dipper.

You don’t really care, though, and the ruse works on everyone, including Mabel and Dipper.

 

You love Mabel and Dipper. You love your siblings. You do.

_But sometimes you want to strangle them for making messes._

 

(Mabel and Dipper know that Mavis has a thing about orderliness, but they’re kids, so they often slip up. Whenever they get the cold shoulder from their youngest sibling, they always initially assume they’ve left a mess in her territory.

Dipper will fix it ASAP, but Mabel is prone to letting Dipper clean up her messes.

Still, neither of them want a repeat of the Cold Shoulder of ’08, so they’re diligent in not pressing Mavis’s buttons too much.)

 

Twelve years. 

Summer break.

Violin lessons.

Fresh air in Gravity Falls, Oregon.

 

…Wait, what?

“You are shipping us off to a relative we have never even _met_ before?”

“Adventure!!”

“Oh, great…”

**Every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end.**

**~Seneca**


	2. The Woods

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: Do I need this? I'm pretty sure it's clear I do not own Gravity Falls.
> 
> Anyway, since I like adding quotes at the end of chapters, most of my author's notes will be at the beginning.
> 
> I think I'll just post all the chapters I have up on Luna.

(Mavis is easily the most difficult of their children. If the sour expression on her face is any indication, she’s not taking their sudden announcement very well. Mabel is predictably excited, but Dipper is already casting a nervous look at his little sister. Catching his eyes, I pointedly glance at Mavis and then back at him. He deflates and sighs.)

“It’ll be fun, Mavis. They have… big trees… in Oregon.”

Mabel hops in place. “Yes! And grass!”

You scowl at your parents, ignoring your siblings’ chatter. You don’t _want_ to go to Gravity Falls to spend a summer with a relative you’ve never met before.

However, if both Mabel and Dipper are going…

You huff and glare off to the side. “Sure.”

(Dipper sighs quietly in relief. No tantrum or threats of starvation from Mavis. He’s not looking forward to a boring summer where he doesn’t know anyone, but at least it won’t start off on a sour note.)

Your parents have already packed the essentials and they send you all off to pack one more bag of things you want to take. Following your siblings back to your shared room, you let Mabel’s chatter drift over you as you peruse your things, packing up a few items you wish to take with you. On top of everything, you stow Comrade, one of your few stuffed animals and the only one Dipper has given you. Zipping the bag shut on the black-eyed stuffed animal, you grab your violin case as well and head back to the living room where mom smears sunblock on your nose.

She smiles at you, “Be good for your uncle Stan, okay?”

Your mouth twitches slightly, but you answer. “I shall endeavour to not be excessively difficult to live with.”

“That’s all we ask, sweetie,” dad says in reply.

Mabel came running back, dragging a bag behind her. “I’m ready!”

Dipper soon followed, looking much less enthusiastic than your shared elder sister, sighing. “Me too…”

They get the same sunblock treatment and soon you’re all bundled out the door, into the car, and then into a bus station. Dad buys each of you a magazine for the bus ride. Mom gives last minute hugs and kisses before you board the bus. Mabel grabs a window seat and Dipper sits next to her while you take the seat across the aisle from him. Your older siblings make the effort of waving goodbye, but you stubbornly settle into your seat, folding your arms to glare at nothing.

The bus pulls out of the station and Mabel waves energetically to everyone and everything. “Goodbye, station! Goodbye, jogger in the grey sweatpants! Goodbye, sidewalks!”

Dipper, however, is staring at you in concern. Even without looking, you know your older brother’s attention is currently on you. When he speaks, you are proven correct as he addresses you. “Come on, Mavis. I’m sure it’ll be fine. I mean, there are probably a lot of things to do in Gravity Falls…”

Mabel turns from the window to lean forward to look at you past Dipper. “Yeah! It’ll be great, Mavis! It’s a new place! A new adventure!”

You turn your head slightly to stare at your older siblings through half-closed eyes. “Does it not upset either of you that we have never even met Great Uncle Stan before?”

Dipper rubs his arm. “Kind of…”

Mabel shakes her head. “Nope!”

(Once again, it crosses Dipper’s mind that he and his sisters are like a scale. Mabel is the extreme positive, he’s the uncertain middle, and Mavis is the darker end of the spectrum.)

You pause, thinking of something. “…Is he going to pick us up? Because I have no idea what he looks like or where he lives.”

Dipper looks like he’s going to freak out, but Mabel cuts past it by pointing out something. “We know he lives at the ‘Mystery Shack’! If he doesn’t show up then all we have to do is ask around to find the place and voila! Our destination!”

“Good point,” Dipper sighs in relief. He had not been looking forward to potentially being stranded in the middle of nowhere.

You shrug and close your eyes. “I am going to sleep.”

“Okay! I’m going to keep saying goodbye to the town!”

Dipper sighs. “I’m just going to read.”

***

It takes the rest of the day and the night to get to Gravity Falls. You arrive at the station in the early morning hours and depart from the bus to see an old man waving at you. He’s wearing a black suit, a fez hat, and is holding an eight ball-topped cane.

“Hey! Hey, you three must be the Pines triplets, am I right?”

Mabel beams. “You are right!” She introduces the group by pointing at each in turn. “I’m Mabel, this is Dipper, and that’s Mavis. You must be Great Uncle Stan, right?”

He shrugs, “Eh, just call me Grunkle Stan.”

Dipper snaps his fingers, “’Great Uncle’, ‘Grunkle’! I get it. Ha ha…”

You wrinkle your nose at the abuse of the English language.

“Come on, kids,” Stan says. “I’ve got the car waiting.” 

He grabs a bag from you and Mabel each before striding off. Mabel hops after him happily, asking questions about the small town while you and Dipper follow behind.

“Well,” your brother says, trying gamely to sound enthusiastic, “This place looks…nice.”

“We shall have loads of fun,” you murmur sarcastically in reply.

Mabel has claimed the front seat so you and Dipper climb into the back seats and buckle up. 

Never before have you been so grateful for the invention of the seatbelt. The first time the car swerved, your hand immediately latched onto Dipper’s in a fierce grip.

“I think I shall be doing a lot of walking this summer,” you mutter in an undertone once the car stopped.

“It wasn’t that bad,” Dipper said. He clenched and unclenched his newly released hand. “At least he didn’t actually crash into anything.”

“Our good fortune,” you reply drily, exiting the vehicle to join Mabel and Stan.

Shutting the vehicle door, you get your first clear look at the Mystery Shack. It’s very triangular, and as triangles are your favorite shape, that’s one good point in its favor. However, it resembles a hovel and you’re not looking forward to the rest of summer living there.

Stan leads you all inside and gestures to a staircase. “Head on up to the attic, that’s where you’ll be staying. Feel free to move things around if you want. I didn’t have a bunk bed, so I just squeezed in three beds. Well, get settled in and I’ll call you down for breakfast in a bit. You must be starved after that long bus ride.”

Mabel cheerfully informs him, “We ate candy all day yesterday!”

“We ate store bought sandwiches at one stop,” Dipper adds.

“I crave nutrition,” you deadpan.

“Eggs and bacon it is!” 

Stan heads off to the kitchen and Mabel leads the charge to the attic. You follow and enter the room last to find Mabel hanging up posters before showing off her new splinters. Dipper is facing off a goat and that’s probably the main reason he chose it: so you wouldn’t have to. You claim the last bed, just off to the foot end of Dipper’s goat-infested bed. You hang up the pyramid poster you brought along, as well as a few family photos.

Mabel’s shirt is chewed on by the goat and she manages to lead it out of the attic before returning to hop onto her bed. “This is great! We have an attic all to ourselves!”

Dipper seems confused. “Why was there a goat in the attic? I’m pretty sure that door was closed before Mabel got here…”

You frown up at the ceiling. “There are spider webs up here.”

“Don’t worry, I’ll handle any spiders you see,” Dipper reassured you.

Mabel swings her legs and smiles at you. “I bet you love this place, Mav! It’s just full of triangles!”

You wave your hand, “’Love’ is a bit much. I tolerate it.”

“Hurray for tolerance!”

***

Breakfast was followed by a tour of the Mystery Shack and an introduction to your new jobs. Yes, apparently you were now ‘employees’ of Stan’s tourist trap. As he already had a cashier and a handyman, the three of you were left with miscellaneous chores such as sweeping, dusting, etcetera. However, as soon as Stan gave you permission to leave, the three of you burst out of the Mystery Shack and ran into the woods to explore.

In follow-the-leader fashion, Dipper led Mabel and you through the forest before coming to a stop in a small clearing. He rubbed his arm. “I feel like I’m being watched…”

You too felt the unease of eyes upon you. Glancing around, you saw no one. “I share your unease, brother.”

Mabel, oblivious, hopped onto a fallen tree. “These woods are amazing! These trees are HUGE!”

Dipper took a seat next to her and you followed suit on Mabel’s other side. He sighed and put his chin on his hand. “Well, this is going to be our summer.”

Mabel sat down and put her arms around yours and Dipper’s shoulders. “Don’t worry little siblings!”

“Mabel, you’re only five minutes older than I am.”

“And only thirteen minutes older than I.”

She plowed on as though neither of you had spoken. “This is just the start of our summer here in Gravity Falls! There’s plenty of time for interesting and amazing things to happen! We need only keep our eyes out!”

Your eye twitched. “I feel like most everything you say is in exclamation points.”

“Everything is exciting!”

Dipper flinched and slapped his calf. “Yeah, exciting…”

You felt something land on your arm and you reflexively slapped it. Lifting your palm, you saw the remains of a mosquito. “Did anyone remember to bring insect repellent?”

Silence fell.

You stood up. “Well, I am going back inside before I am insect food.”

Mabel hopped up. “Me too! I wanna look around the Mystery Shack some more!”

Dipper stood up. “I’m not staying out here by myself.”

The short-lived expedition ended and you returned to the attic to practice your violin. Dipper joined you in the attic to re-read the magazines Dad bought, though he left Mabel’s alone. For a time, you stood in the middle of the attic and let your fingers work over the instrument.

_BAM!_

_SCREECH!_

“Agh!” Dipper clapped his hands over his ears and whipped his head from his fallen magazine to stare behind you where the door had burst open.

Mabel stood there and she waved her arms. “You two can’t spend all summer up here! Come on, come hang out downstairs or go outside! This is a whole new place to explore and we’ve only just started!”

Meanwhile, you were glaring at the neck of your violin, your arms still poised in the startled motion that had resulted in the earlier screech.

“Oops, sorry Mavis! I keep forgetting. Sorry!”

You deigned to lift your dark glare to meet Dipper’s eyes. He shrugged.

“Let’s go, Dipper! Mavis, you want to come along too?”

“No,” you replied calmly, finally lowering your arms and letting your glare fall away. “I am going to keep practicing my violin. However, if you insist, I will move my practice to the outside.”

“Great! It’ll be good for you to get some sunshine. After all, mom and dad did send us up here for the fresh air.” She darted forward and grabbed Dipper’s arm. “Let’s go, Dipper!”

Your elder siblings left on their new exploration adventure while you packed up your violin and headed outside. You noticed Stan leading a tour and you paused, tapping your fingers against your thigh. You didn’t like practicing where strangers could hear, so… no option other than to head back into the forest, really. Before going, however, you headed back upstairs and liberally applied insect repellent.

Moments later, you were out the door and into the woods, heading away from the Mystery Shack. You weren’t certain how far the sound would travel, so you decided to head a fair ways into the trees. After a random length of time and distance, you came upon a large clearing and decided to practice there. Soon the clearing was filled with the sound of your violin as you practiced from memory.

This wasn’t how you wanted to spend your summer, but at least for the moment you were at peace.

***

(Dipper followed Mabel into the Mystery Shack. The sun was setting and they had just returned from exploring the town. He wished they had insisted on Mavis coming along. At least then he wouldn’t have been the sole witness to Mabel’s crazy flirting. He thanked his lucky stars that at least both of his sisters weren’t going through their “Boy Crazy” phase at the same time.

Mabel announced their arrival. “We’re back, Uncle Stan!”

“Good,” the old man called from the kitchen. “You’re just in time. Come eat!”

Dipper arrived in the kitchen and glanced around. “Is Mavis upstairs?”

“Dunno,” Stan replied from the stove, no longer wearing his black suit and instead wearing a wife-beater and his boxers. “I thought she was with you two.”

“I’ll go check,” he volunteered, heading for the stairs.

Ascending to the attic, he opened the door, calling, “Mavis, dinner!”

Silence met him.

Glancing around, Dipper didn’t see his little sister. He called her name and looked around. Calling her name again, he looked behind the drapes and under the beds. His voice was a little more panicked as he called yet again. “Mavis?!”

Mabel called from downstairs. “Dipper! Mavis is down here! She just came in!”

Suddenly desperate to confirm the truth, Dipper ran down the stairs and burst into the kitchen.

And there was Mavis, sitting at the table with a leaf stuck in her hair. He let out a sigh of relief and joined his sisters at the table. “Where were you, Mavis?”)

You glanced up at your brother. “I was out in the woods.”

Stan served you a portion of food from a pot. “The woods, huh? Try not to wander too far, sweetie. There are bears out there. Also, watch your footing. I wouldn’t want any of you kids stepping in a bear trap or something.”

“Yes, Uncle Stan,” you replied, making a mental note to keep an eye out for traps.

Mabel shaped her potatoes into a circle. “Did you see anything exciting while you were out there?”

“I did not.” You chewed and swallowed before asking. “What about you two? Did you do anything exciting today?”

“We explored the town,” Dipper answered.

Mabel beamed, “There are so many cute guys!”

Ah, yes. Mabel’s quest for an ‘epic summer romance’. She had enthused about it a great deal on the bus ride here. You decided to change the focus of the conversation and turned to Stan.

“What about you, Uncle Stan? How was your day?”

“Eh, can’t complain,” he replied. “It was a good day for sales, at least.”

Mabel took over the conversation and you let her, sinking into silence as you ate. Once the meal was done, Stan stood up.

“Alright, kids. I cook and you clean the dishes, deal?”

“Fair enough,” Dipper said, picking up Stan’s plate and putting it on top of his own.

Mabel crawled under the table and dashed to the sink. “I’ll get the water!”

“I shall dry,” you put in, helping Dipper gather the dishes.

“I’ll put them away,” Dipper finished. “And if we want, we can switch it up later.”

Stan left and the three of you washed, dried, and put away the dishes. With this done, the three of you headed upstairs to the attic, each of you wishing Stan good night as you passed by.

Dipper reached the attic first and turned on the lamp between his and Mabel’s beds. You switched on your own lamp and rummaged around for your pajamas. Dipper left the attic with his toothbrush in hand and you and Mabel made use of his absence to change into your nightclothes. When Dipper returned, you and Mabel left to brush your teeth and give him privacy to…shed his vest. Dipper tended to wear his clothes to bed and change into a new set in the morning.

In the bathroom, Mabel hummed cheerfully as she drooled toothpaste. You copied her motions but didn’t hum along. With the cleaning ritual done, you followed your big sister back to the attic.

“Mavis?”

“Yes?”

“Are you sure you’re okay going out to the woods alone? You looked kinda scared when you came back. Did something frighten you?”

You recalled the sensation of being watched, strong enough to make you stop playing to look around. You remembered feeling as though someone— _something_ —was stalking you as you headed back to the Mystery Shack. The snapping of twigs behind you, no one being there and yet the feeling of being watched continuing just as strongly… Running, nearly tripping, _hearing many feet_ , nearly yelling for Dipper… Bursting out of the woods and finding the Mystery Shack, dashing to the door and pausing to collect yourself, suddenly certain that you were only spooked by your imagination in the twilight woods… and yet feeling a jolt of unease when you glanced back, strong enough to make you stumble into the house ( _to safety_ ).

You lied to your sister. “I nearly walked into a spider in its web. That is all it was.”

“Ooh, good thing you didn’t,” she replied, believing you instantly. “Spiders work hard on their webs, you know!”

Dipper looked up as you both entered the attic, raising his eyebrow. “Spiders?” He frowned in concern. “Did one get on you, Mavis? Maybe you shouldn’t go out into the woods alone…”

“I will be fine,” you reassured him. You lied to him too. “I only nearly walked into one.”

Dipper stared. “…You still have a leaf in your hair, you know?”

Mabel turned around and plucked it off your head. “Boop!” She held it in front of your face. “Your first souvenir of Gravity Falls, Mavis! Put it in your diary and make an entry about today, our first day here at the Mystery Shack!”

You took the leaf and walked over to your bed. “You are the one who insisted I even start a diary, Mabel.”

She jumped onto her bed and called across the room. “Well, you didn’t want to do a scrapbook like mine.” She pulled out said scrapbook and held it up. “Behold! By the end of this summer, this scrapbook will be full of wonderful memories!” She clutched it to her chest and smiled at you. “I just want you to keep a record too. This is our first summer away from home! Who knows what memories we’ll want to record and visit later?”

Dipper looked up from the novel he had pulled out to read. “You should come with us next time we go into town, Mavis. We’ll show you where the shops are, and we can get ice cream or something.”

Mabel threw up her hands. “It’s decided! Next time you’re coming with us, little sis!”

“Sure,” you replied absently, making the first entry in your new diary, purchased for you by mom on Mabel’s insistence.

Mabel called across the room again. “You should decorate it with stickers!”

You paused long enough to rustle up your sticker collection. Mabel cheered in victory.

***

(The first blank page of the diary is titled with the words ‘This Diary is Property of Mavis Pines’. The title is surrounded by various stickers. The other side of the page is blank, but the page next to it is decorated with a warning to Mabel, stating that just because she insisted on the existence of the diary did not give her permission to read it. There is an additional warning to other readers, stating that they risk the grudge of the owner and the dire consequences thereof. After that, the diary begins in earnest, written in a careful scrawl.)

_Dear Diary,_

_Today Mabel, Dipper, and I arrived at Gravity Falls, Oregon where we will be spending the summer. Our parents thought we could use the fresh air and sent us to our Great Uncle Stan and his tourist trap the Mystery Shack._

_The three of us have been placed in an attic. At least we are all in the same room. We are growing older, so the time we can share together in the same room is beginning to end. I suspect that shortly after our return home to our parents, Dipper will be placed in a separate room. Growing boys and girls, as they say._

_Great Uncle Stan has informed us that we can call him ‘Grunkle Stan’. No, thank you. I despise contractions in grammar and made-up words. I can see Mabel and Dipper calling him that, though._

(There is a detailed description of the Mystery Shack and its contents, noting that the owner of the diary is pleased with the triangle-theme. Events are described.)

_After declining to go with Mabel and Dipper, I headed out into the woods to practice my violin. It was good for a time, but eventually the unease of eyes upon me forced my hands into silence. I saw no person or animal, yet the unsettling feelings lingered. I put away my violin and headed back to the Mystery Shack._

_However, before going far, I thought I heard something behind me, yet when I turned to look, nothing was there. This event repeated several times until at last I gave in to my panic and began running. I admit that I ran into more branches than I otherwise would have, and a leaf stuck in my hair._

(There is a leaf taped to the page.)

_Just when my fear and paranoia reached a fever pitch, I burst into the clearing where the Mystery Shack was located. I ran to the door and stopped, suddenly feeling silly for my fear. Surely there was nothing behind me._

_And yet, when I turned to look, though I saw nothing but the forest, I still flinched before stumbling into the house. I thought I heard Dipper calling me, and when I entered the kitchen, Mabel said Dipper was looking for me. She left to call him, and he appeared rather quickly. He seemed relieved to see me._

_I do not know why he looked relieved. Perhaps he sensed my earlier panic and could not find me to soothe it? Regardless, I am glad that he noticed my absence though I am sorry I worried him. I shall make an effort to return earlier and greet him each time so that it does not happen again._

_Dipper has suggested that the next time they go into town that I should go along with them. I believe I shall._

_I also believe I shall stay out of the woods for a couple days to gather my nerve to enter it again. I am unsettled, but not defeated._

_Goodnight,_

_Mavis_

_P.S._

_Great Uncle Stan warned me not to wander too far and to keep an eye out for bear traps. This warning is worth heeding, thus I record it here, and have made a mental note to keep it in mind._

(The first entry ends.)

**I held a moment in my hand, brilliant as a star, fragile as a flower, a tiny sliver of one hour. I dripped it carelessly, Ah! I didn't know, I held opportunity.**

**~Hazel Lee**


	3. First Blood

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: Minor Character Death, blood and guts

The three of you had to work in the shop again the next day, and Stan didn’t release you until the afternoon. Once free, Mabel grabbed both you and Dipper and lead the way to town. Your elder sister skipped along, kicking up leaves and twigs while Dipper walked next to her more sedately. You walked on Mabel’s other side and maintained your calm expression.

(Dipper isn’t fooled, though. He knows that his little sister is scared of spiders and horror movies being alone in the dark. She’s his sister, and the youngest besides, and that’s why he keeps a sharp eye out for potential triggers.)

Upon reaching the town of Gravity Falls, Mabel proceeds to give you a loud tour, pointing out various places and extolling their goods points and innocently blurting their ‘not-so-good’ points. Dipper goes along, adding commentary on each place. For many of the town residents, it comes as a slight surprise to see that the Pines Twins have another sibling. When asked if you were their sibling, Mabel and Dipper proudly throw their arms around your shoulders and declare, yes, you are their sibling, _and_ :

““We are the Pines Triplets!””

Your bored face between their bright smiles does nothing to support their claim. However, as the three of you know the truth, the disbelief on the faces of others does not bother you.

Mabel suggests ice cream and Dipper heartily agrees so you go along with them. Soon the three of you are in possession of store-bought ice cream and sitting on the sidewalk like it’s the world’s smallest bench. Dipper is constantly looking left and right as he licks his ice cream, watching for any incoming vehicles. Mabel is humming as she eats hers, and you’re debating whether you should return to the woods to practice or not as you eat your ice cream.

“This ice cream is so good!”

“We probably shouldn’t be sitting here…”

“It is hot. There is an unfortunate lack of cloud cover today.”

After finishing the ice cream, the three of you have sticky hands, so Dipper leads the way to a water fountain. Mabel washes her hands first and you follow suit. Dipper is last and wipes his hands on his clothes whereas you and Mabel wave your hands to dry them.

“Dipper, can you please braid my hair?”

“Sure thing, sis,” Dipper replied.

Mabel spotted a boy on a bench and left to go ‘flirt’ with him while you turned your back to Dipper so he could access your hair. You felt his fingers delve into your thick locks and begin separating them into three parts. Then you waited patiently as he proceeded to braid your hair.

“Are you going to go out into the woods again?”

You hummed, still feeling pleasant from the sensation of his fingers in your hair. You might as well, so, “Yes.”

“Today?”

“No, but tomorrow I shall. I do not want to play my violin where the tourists may hear, or worse, spot me.”

“Don’t you think the woods are creepy?” He proceeded to tie the end with your ponytail elastic.

“Somewhat,” you replied truthfully. Feeling that he was done, you turned and nodded your thanks. “Thank you, Dipper.”

A scream came from across the street and you both turned to see the boy from earlier fleeing a chasing Mabel. Dipper made a face. “We… should probably go stop that.”

You agree and the two of you follow after the fleeing boy and chasing Mabel. They turn the corner and when you two finally turn it, you see the now window-shopping Mabel as she peers into a clothing shop. The boy is nowhere to be seen. Wrangling your elder sister, the three of you head back to the Mystery Shack where you find a tour has just ended.

“There you kids are. Come on, help out the customers!” 

Stan prods Dipper in the back, making him yelp and jump forward. Mabel laughs and dashes forward as well. You follow them at a steady pace. Soon the three of you are busy dusting and sweeping the shop. Dipper has a broom while you and Mabel wield dust cloths. However, Mabel spots a boy and you watch as she once again dashes off with a harebrained scheme to win his affections.

“I must admit I admire her attitude,” you murmur.

Dipper dragged his broom over while pretending to sweep. “Well, Mabel isn’t one to let things get her down.”

“True,” you reply.

You both watch as Mabel’s efforts fail and the boy flees in a quick stride. Mabel returns cheerfully wielding her dust cloth and declares, “I’ll get the next one!”

You tilt your head. “Why bother?”

Mabel and Dipper look at you. Your elder sister tilter her head in curiosity. “What do you mean?”

You looked back at her. “Why bother with a summer romance?”

Mabel lit up. “It’s our first summer away from home!” She spun on the spot. “It’s my chance for an epic summer romance!” She struck a pose. “Every girl should have an epic summer romance at least once in her life!”

Dipper grinned. “So Mavis should have one too?”

You gaped at him in betrayal as Mabel’s eyes instantly zeroed in on you. Your sister grabbed your hands and stared at you with wide, sparkling eyes.

“Mavis, you too should experience the thrills of love! We should _both_ have an epic summer romance!”

When you glare at him, Dipper looks slightly guilty but mostly amused.

Sighing, you rest your forehead against your sister’s. “Mabel.”

She smiles at you. “Hmm?”

“I do not know whether I shall have ‘an epic summer romance’ or not. If it happens, then it happens. If it does not, then it does not.” You interlaced your fingers with hers. “However, there is something you should know.”

She asked, “What is it?”

You clenched your fingers slightly to convey the seriousness of your next words. “Mabel, I never want to date a boy who has dated you, and I would be grateful if you never dated a boy who has dated me.” You frowned. “The thought of sharing the same boy _disgusts_ me.”

Mabel gripped your hands back. “I won’t date a boy who has dated you, I promise!”

You let your frown fade away. “And I promise to not date a boy who has dated you.”

Mabel giggled and waved both her hands and your hands together. “Sisters before boyfriends!”

(“Oh boy,” Dipper sighed, scratching the side of his face. Wasn’t this like a clichéd movie plotline? He really didn’t want his sisters fighting over the same guy or losing their closeness to jealousy.

He also really hoped this wasn’t the start of Mavis’s “Boy Crazy” phase. He’s not sure he can handle both of his sisters flirting with every boy they cross, especially not if it starts some kind of competition between them.)

Stan appears to briefly scold the three of you for slacking off and you return to work.

The rest of the day passed without much incident, and later that evening you practice your violin in the yard while Stan cooked dinner. Mabel and Dipper listened to you from the couch on the porch and yelled requests and playfully complained when you ignored them all.

(“Play the My Small Horsy theme!”

“No, play the Power Guardians theme!”

At one point Mavis yelled back, “ _Silence_ from the peanut gallery!”

They laughed, certain that she didn’t mean it.) 

As Stan summoned you all inside for dinner, you decided to return to the forest tomorrow.

***

It was after lunch and Great Uncle Stan was busy with another tour while Mabel and Dipper were in the shop talking with the handyman, Soos. This was your chance to sneak off and you were taking it!

But first…

Casting careful glances all around, you made sure you were alone. Then, tiptoeing across the floor, you open a drawer and eye its contents. Ah-hah! Swiftly, you grab a sharp knife and quietly close the drawer before leaving the kitchen, carefully concealing the stolen knife as you do so.

Retrieving your violin from the attic, you head outside and into the woods once again at a quick pace, eager to avoid Great Uncle Stan calling you back. Once in the cover of the trees, you sigh in relief and head in a random direction. After a long walk, you come to what looks like a new clearing and decide that you will practice here.

Carefully, you place the case upon a rock and open it to reveal your prided instrument. Taking it in hand, you stand straight and take a moment to compose yourself. Then, smoothly, you draw the bow across the strings and bring music to the forest once again. Underneath your bow and fingers, your violin lets loose the music of _Gavotte_ by François-Joseph Gossec. 

The woodland creatures stopped at the new sound, slightly wary it was something dangerous. When no death fell upon them, their lives resumed as normal. However, for a shady ‘man’ hiding behind a tree, it was a heavenly sound that ‘he’ had to possess, one way or another. 

As the last note ended, you took moment to pause between songs. Settling the violin more comfortably, you moved on to _Minuet in G_ by Ludwig van Beethoven. You let the music take you away and you swayed slightly on the spot, fully concentrated on something other than killing a small animal.

_Snap._

The music faded suddenly as you spun around at the unexpected sound. You bristled as you registered the sight of a teenage boy in a dark hoodie watching you. You demanded, “Who are you?”

He glanced off to the side. “I’m, uh… Normal… Man.”

That did not inspire any confidence in you whatsoever. Taking a step back, you narrowed your eyes slightly, “Nice to meet you, Normal Man.”

He took a staggering step towards you. “Uh… what’s your name?”

“Sybil,” you lied smoothly, taking another step back.

Normal Man paused, seeming to finally notice your unease. “I… I heard you playing your… fiddle?”

“It is a violin,” you corrected, daring to bend over to pack away the precious instrument. Standing up again, you held the case by its handle while the other drifted towards the hidden knife. Was this the creep who scared you two days ago?

Normal Man took another shuffling step forward. “I like… your music.”

You frowned. “Thank you. However, it is rude to just stalk someone, even if you do like something that they do.”

He grunted, “Sorry.” He raised his hand slightly. “I want to… get to know you.”

Well, the feeling was not mutual.

“I am not in the market for a new friend.”

He paused, looking down at the ground for a moment before returning the gaze of his one visible eye back to you. “I want to be… more than friends.”

This was now clearly stranger danger. Gripping the hidden knife in your hand, you narrowed your eyes at him. “I should be leaving.”

He raised his hands out to you. “Wait! Please!”

You made a move to ignore him. Seeing that you were going to leave, he shouted desperately.

“We love you!”

You flinched, looking back at him. _What?_

Normal Man fidgeted. “You see… your music stole our hearts. We’ve never heard anything like it before. Our old queen didn’t… play any instruments. Since we need a new one… we decided it had to be you!”

Still gripping the hidden knife, you stared at him in revulsion. “What do you mean, ‘we’?”

Normal Man sighed. “Don’t… don’t freak out, okay? Please… keep an open mind.”

He reached up towards the zipper of his hoodie and pulled it down to reveal—

_Gnomes?_

“We are Gnomes,” the one on top of the pile said. “I’m Jeff and these are Carson, Steve, Jason and... I’m sorry, I always forget your name.”

“Schmebulock,” the formerly unknown Gnome replied.

“Schmebulock! That’s right.” Jeff looked back up at you. “Anyway, yes, we know that you’ve probably only just found out that Gnomes are real, but we love you, all one thousand of us!” He tapped the head of the Gnome beneath him and they arranged themselves in a mimicry of a man proposing on his knees.

“Will you marry us?”

Your eyes blanked out as you processed his request. “What?”

“We need a new queen,” Jeff explained. “After we heard your music, we decided that we wanted you to be ours for all eternity!”

You sighed and pinched the bridge of your nose. “Jeff. I am going to have to refuse.”

The faces of all five Gnomes fell in disappointment. “What? Why?”

You crossed your arms and laid out your reasons. “One, I am only twelve. I cannot be the bride of anyone. Two, eternity is much too long. Three, I will not live out in the forest without electricity and modern plumbing. Four, one thousand is nine-hundred-and-ninety-nine too many.”

Jeff sighed. “We understand, Sybil. We’ll never forget you.”

Your danger sense _rang_.

He lifted his head. “Because we’re going to kidnap you.”

You screamed as they jumped at you.

***

(Dipper looked away from the television. “Hey, where’s Mavis?”

Mabel, hanging her head upside down from Stan’s chair, replied, “Out in the woods, I guess.” She looked at her brother. “Why do you ask?”

Dipper rubbed his arm. “I dunno. I just suddenly wanted to know where she was.”

Mabel slid down onto the floor next to him. “You worry too much, bro-bro. I’m sure Mavis is fine.”

Dipper frowned. “I don’t think we should let her go out by herself anymore.”

Mabel blew a raspberry. “Good luck trying to enforce _that_.”

He recalled how willful and bull-headed Mavis could be, and laughed. “Yeah, good point.” He tapped his toes against the floor. “As long as she comes back before dark every day, I won’t make a big deal of her going off to practice her violin alone.”

Mabel clapped his shoulder. “That’s the ticket! As long as she’s careful then we won’t try to ‘limit her existence’.” 

She made air-quotation marks, casually referring to Mavis’s age ten tantrum when mom and dad tried to convince her to drop the violin lessons they had been paying for her. In the end, Mavis got to continue her lessons and the rest of the Pines family silently and unanimously decided that trying to push something on Mavis after she expresses disinterest is not a battle they want to fight.

Dipper nodded slowly. “Yeah. As long as she’s careful and back before dark every day…”)

***

These bastards were many in number!

You struggled against your captors, trying to throw them off.

“Stop struggling,” Jeff advised. “It’s just going to make things more awkward for everyone.”

He was the leader. If your fate was to get married to these Gnome bastards, then you were sure as hell taking Jeff out and dropping that four-digit number by at least one!

You slumped, “Okay, fine, just stop trying to tie me down!”

The Gnomes paused and Jeff brightened. “Do you mean—?”

Sighing, you looked over at him. “You can put the ring on me.”

Jeff beamed and hopped over to you, where you knelt down and held out your left hand. Slowly, your free hand moved towards the still hidden knife. The head Gnome took your hand and placed a diamond ring on your finger.

Jeff kissed your hand. “You won’t regret this!” 

“I shall surely not,” you replied demurely.

Jeff beamed up at you. Seeing his smile directed at you, that infuriating smug expression of _victory_ , was the last straw. Faster than he could process, your hand rose up and then _plunged_ towards him. You stared with a blazing gaze as blood spurted from around the knife buried in his beard and piercing the flesh beneath. Jeff’s body took a moment to process the new development, but then he gave a strangled, choking whine.

At the sound of his distress, you twisted the blade before yanking it out in a spray of blood. He fell off his perch, sliding off the knife and releasing more blood as he hit the ground. The Gnomes that had made up his body fell back in shock. Dispassionately, you stared at Jeff’s writhing form and decided that it wasn’t enough. Kneeling, you raised your hand and thrust it down again and again.

Blood spurted with each stab of the knife into the small body of the Gnome. It writhed and groaned for the first few thrusts, but soon it lay still. The other Gnomes, seeing their leader murdered and then his body mutilated, fled in terror, some of them covered in blood splatters. You didn’t laugh, you didn’t even _smile_ , but you felt a deep satisfaction nonetheless with every stab you committed.

This freak thought you would be its— _their_ —wife?

You can barely manage the thought of marrying a single man, much less a bunch of Gnomes!

Savagely, you drew the knife across the dead Gnome’s belly, releasing its intestines to the air. Seeing the fleshy innards, you paused to stare. After a moment, slowly, you slipped your hand into the rip, feeling the hot warmth of its innards encompassing your appendage. Blood coated the engagement ring.

A slight, mad giggle of revulsion slipped out before you dropped the knife to pull at the intestines.

From somewhere beyond sight, a creature of pure energy laughed as it watched.

***

“Mavis!”

You startled at the loud yell from Mabel as you entered the Mystery Shack. She bounced over to you and grabbed your hand, fully prepared to keep yelling her news in your face when she suddenly froze. You blinked as she turned her gaze to your hand and squeezed it in hers. 

“Whoa, you are _freezing_! What happened? Did you explore a cave or something?”

“No,” you replied, letting her try to warm your hand between hers. “I am just cold.”

Truthfully you were cold from the pond waters you dipped into to wash the blood off, but that’s not something you were going to admit out loud.

“I should get you mittens!” Mabel pulled on your hand and proceeded to drag you upstairs. “Anyway, you’ll never guess what happened today!”

You took a shot in the dark. “You found a boyfriend?”

Mabel blew a raspberry and threw open the door to the attic. “I wish!” She released your hand and dashed over to her bed. “I found you—dun, dun, dun—“she spun around and held something up for you to see, ”The _Perfect Dress!_ ”

‘Perfect’ was a little much, but it was indeed it was a dress you did not hate.

Walking up to her, you reached out and touched the neckline of the dress. “And… it is for me?”

“Shyeah!” Mabel pressed it into your arms. “Now when you practice your violin you can pretend you’re giving a performance! It’ll totally increase your playing skills!”

You weren’t sure about that, but you did appreciate the thought that went into the gift. Mabel wore skirts, but she did love her sweaters. Dipper was fond of shorts and hats, but you? You had a preference towards dresses, yet only in the context of wearing them when playing your violin. Something about dressing up to play your instrument just… _appealed_ to you.

You smiled at your sister. “Thank you, Mabel.”

She ruined the moment by squealing and hopping up and down while pointing at your face. “You _smiled!_ I think that’s the first time you’ve smiled since we got here!”

Dipper came into the room, catching Mabel’s sentence. “Aww, I missed Mavis smiling?”

You felt your face heat up as you held the dress to you like a shield. Mabel giggled and threw her arm around you to spin you so that you were both facing Dipper. “You should have seen it, Dipper! It was all soft and sweet!”

You pressed your lips into a line as she poked your cheek. 

“Hopefully I see the next smile,” Dipper said. He grinned at you. “After all, you look so cute when you do!”

Mabel giggled again, hugging you as you turned red. “Aww, don’t be so shy, Mavis. It’s true! You’re so cute when you smile!”

You wriggle out of her grasp and tuck a loose strand of hair behind your ears. “Enough.” You sighed and tried to force your blush to recede as you asked, “Did anything exciting happen today?”

Mabel’s eyes widened as she leapt on that opening. “Grunkle Stan caught a shoplifter!”

You snorted softly. “Is the shoplifter still alive?”

Mabel laughed, “You silly! Of course he is. Grunkle Stan just made him pay twice what he was trying to steal!”

Dipper chuckled, “I can see why you’d ask, though.”

You sat down on Mabel’s bed and though your voice soon trailed off, you listened contentedly as your elder siblings chatted and laughed about their day.

“You took off again,” Dipper noted. He tilted his head slightly. “Are the woods really that interesting?”

You briefly thought of telling him the truth.

You were proposed to by Gnomes. You killed the head Gnome in a fit of blind rage, and you took pleasure in the act and played with his guts, pulling them out of his torn stomach and marveling at how long they were, how warm and squishy.

No. That was **not** something to tell your dear, sweet brother or your kind, naïve sister. So you told them a truth to misdirect their attention.

“I like playing my violin out there in the woods.”

“Mom would love that you love the woods,” Mabel enthused. She nudged you with her elbow. “Not afraid of bugs anymore, are you?”

You weren’t, but you _liked_ having Dipper come to your rescue once in a while. If you even played your part well then you could latch onto him until you ‘calmed down’. So…

You shook your head. “I just do not think of them. It makes it easier to ignore them.”

Dipper looked worried. “But what if you get a spider on you?”

You gave him a slight grin. “Then I shall stop, drop, and roll.”

They laughed. Mabel elbowed you again.

“Silly, that’s what you do when you catch on fire!”

You laughed with them, and in that moment you were all certain of your love for each other.

***

(The second entry of the diary is dated two days after the first entry.)

_Dear Diary,_

_Yesterday I went into town with Mabel and Dipper. There, I witnessed my elder sister make a spectacle of herself by flirting with nearly every boy to cross her path. I rather think the boy with the turtle was somewhat startled by her sudden appearance over his shoulder. Perhaps I am lucky in that there is only one boy that I like._

_But I digress._

_The antics of my elder sister aside, we had an enjoyable expedition. We bought ice cream and ate it whilst sitting on the sidewalk. Dipper kept looking left and right for approaching vehicles. This was followed by one of the flirting attempts made by Mabel that day. While she was off doing that, I asked Dipper to braid my hair, which he did._

_Soon, we returned to the Mystery Shack where Great Uncle Stan put us to work. I bore witness to my sister pushing a boy into a postcard stand in an attempt to flirt with him. I dearly hope that if I ever flirt that my attempts are not as awkward to watch. Mabel can get away with a great deal as she is very cheerful and generally nice. I, however, am aware of my social limitations and do not wish to have the stigma of failed flirting stuck to me. Still, I admire her will that never surrenders to defeat._

_Dipper made an unfortunate observation that had Mabel telling me that I too should have ‘an epic summer romance’. Somehow or other, Mabel and I ended up promising each other to not date a boy who has dated the other. I think, that if we can manage that, it will be good practice for when we are older._

_That evening, I practiced my violin out in the yard with my brother and sister watching and making absurd requests. It was fun, though it did help me make up my mind to return to the peace of the forest the next day._

(The diary entry converts to code for four paragraphs before continuing in English.)

_I returned from the woods before twilight. Mabel gave me a surprise in the form of a new dress. I am not sure I shall wear it any time soon, but I do like it, and I appreciate the thought that went into it. Mabel and Dipper teased me about my infrequent smile, though of course they meant no harm._

_Today was… ‘interesting’. What shall the rest of summer bring?_

_Wondering,_

_Mavis_

(The entry ends.)

**Secrets. Everyone has them. The light of day and truth reveal some secrets to be nagging obsessions or habits, while other secrets may be as incriminating as a literal decaying skeleton in one’s closet.**

**~Kenn Bivins, Pious**


	4. Closing Distance

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own Gravity Falls. This is a work of fan fiction. No money is being made. Etc.
> 
> Hahaha, I'm not clever when it comes to chapter titles.

You were helping Dipper clean the various bottles and jars around the souvenir shop, but had tuned out his comments to Mabel on her “Boy Crazy” phase. In fact, you only started paying attention when Stan entered the room and spoke up.

“All right, all right, look alive, people.” This was where you stopped wiping a jar and turned your head to look at him. “I need someone to go hammer up these signs in the spooky part of the forest.”

Dipper blurted, “Not it!”

Mabel was quick to echo, “Not it!”

Soos, the handyman, chimed in, “Uh, also not it.”

Stan stared at him. “Nobody asked you, Soos.”

“I know, and I'm comfortable with that.” He proceeded to eat a chocolate bar.

You set down your spray bottle and cloth to raise your hand. “I do not mind volunteering to do the job.”

“Good girl, Mavis,” Stan praised.

Dipper turned to you, “Mavis, why?”

You stared right back at him. “I want an excuse to wield a hammer.”

Everyone minus Wendy, the cashier, stared at you and briefly wondered why you wanted to ‘wield a hammer’.

Dipper spoke up again. “Whenever I'm in those woods, I feel like I'm being watched. I’m uncomfortable with you going in there alone so often.”

Stan pinched the bridge of his nose. “Ugh, this again.”

Dipper spun on him. “I'm telling you, something weird is going on in this town. Just today, my mosquito bites spelled out ‘BEWARE.’”

Stan bent forward to look at Dipper’s proffered arm. He frowned, “That says ‘BEWARB.’" 

You reached out and took Dipper’s arm to stare pointedly at his bug bites and then up at his face. He laughed nervously, “Yeah, I forgot to put on bug spray…”

You released his arm and he scratched it.

Stan, having watched the exchange, brushed off Dipper’s concerns. “Look, kid. The whole ‘monsters in the forest’ thing is just local legend, drummed up by guys like me to sell merch to guys like that.”

You, Dipper, and Mabel turned to look at the tourist he was pointing. A fat, sweaty man laughed while looking at a Stan-bobblehead's head bobble. You all looked back at Stan.

“So quit being so paranoid!” Stan held out the signs, hammer, and nails to you. “Here you go, sweetie. Don’t hurt yourself now.”

Taking the materials from him, you nodded before turning on your heel and setting off. Dipper called out to you and you paused to look back.

“I’ll go with you!”

Stan grabbed his vest, stopping him in his tracks. “Oh no, you don’t. Quit trying to smother your sister. Get back to work.”

You frowned slightly in annoyance before continuing with leaving. It would have been nice to have Dipper along. It has been quite a while since you had him to yourself.

Still, it would be nice to have a few moments to yourself. You hadn’t been able to get away all day and you wanted to take this as an opportunity to recharge yourself to face more human interaction. You hoped that as summer went on and you got used to being in Gravity Falls that you would need less time to do so, but changing your routine always made you more susceptible to becoming socially and occasionally emotionally and mentally strained.

You knocked on the tree, getting an unnatural ‘ting’ in response each time. That was highly unusual… Feeling around the fake tree, you soon managed to pull open a small door in the decidedly fake section of the tree. Peering inside, you saw an old switchboard covered in dust and cobwebs. Pausing momentarily to remind yourself that curiosity killed the cat, you shrugged and flipped one of the switches. Nothing happened, so you flipped the other switch. At first, you thought nothing happened, but you did hear the goat make a startled noise so you turned to look just in time to see the goat fleeing the area. Looking back at the ground you noticed something very important.

An open hatch had appeared in the ground.

Linking the events in your mind, you reached behind you and flipped the switch again. The hatch closed. Flipping the switch once last time, the hatch opened one more. Stepping away from the fake tree, you walked up to the open hatch and sat on your haunches to look closer.

A book lay covered in dust and cobwebs. You wrinkled your nose in disgust as a couple centipedes fled the now open hide away.

Cautiously, you reached down and picked the book up by its cover. It was heavier than it looked and it slipped from your grasp, kicking up a small cloud of dust that had you coughing. Waving your hands to clear the air, you looked down at the book and saw a six-fingered hand with the number ‘3’ on it. Curiosity piqued once again, you reached down and properly grasped the book to bring it out of its prison.

You blew several breaths on the book to clear it of more dust. Brushing the cover, spine and back, you wondered why a book would be hidden away. Finally deeming the book clean enough, you set it on your knees and opened it up to a random page — “EEK!” — only to pitch it away from you with a squeal of surprise and revulsion, a brief glance at a grotesque drawing startling you into instant reaction.

Heart pounding, you placed a hand on your chest and thanked your lucky stars that there were no witnesses to that embarrassment. Mabel would surely have mimicked your surprise while laughing. Dipper would likely have laughed as well, after confirming that you were otherwise fine, anyway. After taking a minute to do a few calming breaths, you walked over to the book and picked it up again.

Carefully, you opened the book and slowly flipped through the pages. You frowned at all the weird drawings and symbols. Seeing several capital letters, you stopped and read the phrase "TRUST NO ONE". You silently read the following: ‘ _Unfortunately, my suspicions have been confirmed. I'm being watched. I must hide this book before_ he _finds it. Remember: in Gravity Falls there is no one you can trust._ ’

You stared at the phrase again and softly repeated it aloud, “Trust no one…”

You mentally pictured Mabel, Dipper and Stan. The next moment you removed Mabel, and Stan quickly followed. Dipper remained in your thoughts for another minute, but ultimately even he faded from your mental view. You closed the book and held it to your chest.

“Trust no one.”

You thought of Jeff and his blood and guts. Your grip on the book tightened.

“ _Trust no one._ ”

“HALLO!”

“Yeek!”

Turning your head, you glared at your elder sister as she laughed. 

(Dipper frowned as he heard Mavis scream. He soon popped up next to Mabel and frowned at her in reprimand. “Mabel, don’t scare Mavis on purpose!”

“Sorry,” Mabel chuckled. “I couldn’t help it.” She leaned on the fallen tree to peer down at Mavis. “Whatcha reading, Mavis? Some music thing?”

Dipper, distracted by her questions, also turned to look at their sister and noticed that she was definitely hiding something from them. He too leaned against the fallen tree to look down at her. “What is that? I’m fairly certain you didn’t take a book with you when you left.” He tilted his head. “…And is that a hatch in the ground?”

She huffed and stood up, still keeping her back to them. “I found this book in there. It is mine now, by rights of Finders Keepers. I will thank you to not bother it.”

Mabel’s smile fell slightly. “Are you actually not gonna show us what it is?”

Mavis stared ahead, not looking at them. “It would be best if I did not.”

Mabel’s smile faded. “Mavis? Are you mad? I’m said I’m sorry.”

Dipper stared at his little sister’s back in concern. “Mavis, if that book is dangerous or something, then you shouldn’t keep it either.” After a moment of silence, he tried his luck. “Please show it to us, Mavis. If it’s a bad book, then we can probably get Grunkle Stan or Soos to burn it so that no one else can read it.”)

You love them, you do, but why can’t they let things lie when you ask them to?

Sighing, you stalk forward and hit the switch so that the hatch in the ground closed. You then proceeded the slam the small door shut, missing your elder siblings flinch because your back was to them.

“Why do the two of you have to know every little thing I do? Why do I have to share everything I have or find?”

You didn’t see them slowly cringe away as your voice steadily rose with every word.

Half-turning to glare at them as you held the book to your chest, you finally outright yelled, “ _Leave me be!_ ”

(Dipper and Mabel watched with wounded eyes as their little sister stalked off. They shared an anxious glance.

“Is…” Mabel’s voice wavered. “Is it my fault?” Her lips wobbled. “It looked like she was glaring right at me. Did I push her too far?”

Dipper placed a hand on her shoulder. “I’m sure it’s not your fault. Well, not entirely. I pushed her a little far too.” He stared after where his little sister disappeared. “I think… I think maybe she’s just… cranky.” He laughed slightly. “You know how snippy she gets when there’s big changes in her routine. This Gravity Falls thing must still be bugging her. Plus, I don’t think she’s had any alone time today yet.”

Mabel sniffed softly. “Maybe…” She sighed and also stared after where Mavis had gone. “Why is it so hard to be with her? It didn’t used to be this way…”

Dipper held back a sigh as he silently agreed.

His eyes narrowed slightly as he followed up with the thought that he was going to _look at that book_ and determine whether or not it was in any way responsible for Mavis’s blowup just now. If it was then he was going to risk his little sister’s wrath to destroy it.)

***

Sitting on a fallen tree, you opened the book up and proceeded to read it. It was an annoying thing, covered in codes, so you decided to flip through it instead and read whatever English there was. Apparently Gravity Falls was awash with weird and strange things. The Gnomes were mentioned, but their weaknesses were unknown. You thought about adding ‘knife’ to it at some point but dismissed the idea. You didn’t want to write in this book, so you made a mental note to buy a notebook where you could record your observations.

The book ended about halfway through, so once you reached that end and flipped through the rest of the pages, you closed it and stared at the cover. After a few moments, you decided to refer to the book as ‘Journal 3’. The three on the front must mean that there are two other journals out there. However, unless they crossed your path as Journal 3 did, you weren’t going to work yourself up over it.

Sighing, you stared up at the trees looming high above you.

…Maybe you had been a little hasty in yelling at Mabel and Dipper…

( **DipperDipperDipperishemadDipperDipperDipperDipperdoeshehatemenowDipperDipperDipperpleasedonothatemeDipperDippericannotliveifhedoesDipperDipperDipper** )

You love them, but you don’t trust them as far as you can throw them. Besides, while Mabel would probably just dismiss the book, there was every chance that Dipper would want it. This journal was a mystery, and if there was one thing he loved, it was a mystery. He would bug you to borrow the book, perhaps outright beg you to give it to him, and you probably would, _but you didn’t want to._ Thus, the only way to keep the book was to keep it away from Mabel and Dipper.

So that was what you would do.

***

(Mavis doesn’t let the book out of her sight. She carries it around in a satchel where she stores sandwiches and water so she doesn’t have to come back for lunch. That satchel is never left alone, not even during their nightly routine of getting ready for bed. Mabel has tried teasing her about it and only gotten a hard glare in return. Mavis is strangely determined to not let him or Mabel read or get their hands on that book.

Dipper has considered going to Grunkle Stan about it, but Stan is likely to brush off his concerns.

Staring up at the dark ceiling of their attic room, Dipper considers trying to slip the book from Mavis while she sleeps, but always puts the satchel near the wall, so he’d have to lean over her. If Mavis woke up to see him trying to steal her book… He shuddered and rolled over.

No, he has to wait for her to let her guard down. When that happens he’ll get a look at that book.

He’ll find out what it is and why Mavis won’t let them see it.)

***

You may have been avoiding your elder siblings the fast few days. You may also be annoyed with both them and Great Uncle Stan.

…No, you were _definitely_ annoyed with those three. Counterfeiting, really? 

Well, all right, your real issue was not that they were committing a crime, but rather that they _got caught_ and you had to go with Soos to bail them out. Stan and Mabel had basically ignored your disapproving stare while Dipper sweated in nerves once you had turned it on him. Being decidedly unimpressed, you were going to hold that over their heads for as long as you could.

Your annoyance at them had manifested as both silence and an increased absence from the Mystery Shack, hence your current location of hiking through the woods and up an increasing slope. Huffing slightly, you carefully paced yourself and watched your footing while carefully hanging on to your violin case. Perhaps if you had thought about it, being back in the forest following the murder of the head Gnome, you might have been nervous. As it was, you were too focused on your irritation and the exertion required on this self-imposed hike.

Eventually you made it to a satisfactory place and you turned around to take in the view. A breeze ruffled your hair as you stared down at Gravity Falls. Sitting on the grass, you sighed and let yourself relax. The breeze kept blowing and you found yourself genuinely enjoying the peace of the moment as you took in the view before you.

…Huh. Why were the cliffs formed like that, with those huge gaps in them? Geology is so weird.

Where was the entrance to the openings on either end of that bridge anyway? Why was there a bridge up there? Ahh, now you sort of wanted to go up there and check out the view from the middle of the bridge… That sounds like something to share with someone, but you don’t want to endanger Mabel or Dipper’s safety. What if they fell off? You would never be able to forgive yourself…

Actually speaking of Mabel and Dipper, maybe you were being a little too hard on them. The book said to trust no one, sure, but that didn’t mean you had to treat everyone like the plague or bite their heads off. Besides which, the awkward air between you and them was annoying. Plus, they were paying too much attention to you for your comfort. It would be best to offer the branch of peace, especially if it stopped them from looking at you like you were going to explode again.

Sighing, you lowered yourself to the ground to stretch out your limbs. Once stretched, you crossed your arms behind your head and stared up at the sky. Clouds drifted by and you idly noticed various shapes. A duck… a woman in a dress… a pine tree… a face… a ship… a wonky triangle…

***

(Mabel jumped onto Dipper’s back, making him stagger and yelp in surprise as she cried out, “I can’t take this, Dipper! I miss Mavis! I want to spend more time with her! I don’t want her to be mad at us anymore~!”

Dipper regained his footing and sighed, both from the weight of the sister on his back and from the absence of the other. “I agree.” He chuckled. “Mind you, I’m glad she wasn’t home the time we were dragged off to prison for counterfeiting.”

Mabel laughing, hopping off his back. “She didn’t look pleased bailing us out, did she?”

Dipper grinned. “I think she was more annoyed that dinner wasn’t ready when she came back. In fact, I’m pretty sure that’s the only reason she came to bail us out.”

Mabel nodded sagely. “She does hate doing household chores on her own.” She threw herself onto the floor. “I want to spend more time with her, though.” She turned over and looked up at Dipper. “I really thought this summer would be our chance to regain that closeness we used to have with her, but she spends so much time out in the woods with her violin…” She groaned and threw her arm over her face. “Plus she got mad at us a few days ago and is still all prickly.”

Dipper sat down with crossed legs. “I know what you mean. We used to go pretty much everywhere together and talked a whole lot more. She didn’t get mad at us as often back then either.” He frowned, almost speaking to himself. “What happened, Mabel? Where did we go wrong that Mavis just… drifted away from us?”

[Stan, overhearing this from the next room, rubbed the back of his neck before turning around and walking away. The kids were having trouble getting along, were they?]

Mabel sat up and slapped a fist into her palm. “We’ll just have to mend our fences and bridges and whatever else and get Mavis back! If she doesn’t want to come exploring with us, then we should go into the woods with her!”

Dipper rubbed his arm in uncertainty. “Mabel, we don’t want to overwhelm Mavis. Remember, dad said she’s really introverted. We don’t want to alienate her by forcing ourselves on her too much.” He winced. “Also, we kind of already did…”

Mabel rubbed her hands together. “Yes, well, we’ll have to be sneaky, we’ll have to be sly~”

Dipper glanced at her in worry. “Spying or sneaking up on Mavis is in no way a good idea. Remember what happened last time?”

Mabel pouted and tilted her head. “Well then, what should we do?”

Dipper took a thinking pose. “Hmm… well, the way I see it, it would be best to ask Mavis if we could go along with her when she goes out. We shouldn’t ask too many times, though. We don’t want to frustrate her.”

Mabel groaned and threw herself onto Stan’s chair. “It shouldn’t be this hard to hang out with our little sis!”

Dipper smiled consolingly, “I know, but that’s just how we need to do things around Mavis.” He shuddered and got a haunted, faraway look on his face. “Or do you want to relive the fall of 2008?”

Mabel shivered and sat up. “No! Not the silence!” She threw her hands up. “Okay, okay! We do this nice and easy, and we won’t have to go through that again.”

They looked at each other and nodded. They could do this.)

***

You were in the middle of making sandwiches so you could sneak off before everyone was awake when a booming voice startled you.

“HEY!”

You flinched and dropped a slice of bread as you spun around to see Great Uncle Stan in the kitchen with you. He put his hands on his hips and announced, “You’re not going out by yourself today, Mavis.”

Your heartbeat slowly settled down into a normal rhythm. Raising an eyebrow, you asked, “Why not?”

Stan beamed. “It’s Family Fun Day!”

Your eyes widened. Family Fun Day was the reason he, Mabel and Dipper went to prison!

Seeing your alarm, Stan raised his hands. “Whoa there, sweetie. I know what you’re thinking of, but I promise today won’t be anything like that last Family Fun Day you missed.” He went over to a cupboard. “Anyway, don’t go out. I have a surprise for all of you and you’ll find out what it is soon enough.”

Eyeing him warily, you finished making your sandwiches as they were almost done anyway. Stan proceeded to make pancakes and told you to go wake up Mabel and Dipper to come and eat because you were all leaving after breakfast.

“Yes, Great Uncle Stan,” you replied, shoving the sandwiches in your satchel as you left the kitchen. You felt Stan’s eyes watching you to make sure you went back up to the attic instead of fleeing through the back door.

Heading up the stairs, you went over to the bedroom you were all sharing and opened the door. “Rise and shine!”

Dipper groaned as Mabel shot up, striking a pose as she stood on her bed. “Aye-aye, captain!”

You watched as Mabel blinked and looked at you. You stared back. “…You literally just woke up. How do you have so much energy?”

Mabel grinned. “I am a pure ball of energy ready for anything!”

You jabbed a thumb over your shoulder. “Well, I hope you are ready for whatever Great Uncle Stan has planned for us today.”

Dipper slowly sat up and stared at you. “…Please tell me it’s not a Family Fun Day. Please tell me Grunkle Stan just has a mile-long list of chores for us to do. _Please_.”

You grimaced. “I wish I could.”

Dipper groaned and fell back on his bed. Mabel, however, jumped down from her own and sniffed the air. “Pancakes!”

***

Blindfolds were not fun.

Riding in a car Great Uncle Stan was driving while you were blindfolded was _doubly not fun_.

You whimpered in terror as the car swerved again.

“It’ll be fine, Mavis,” Dipper called from the back seat where he was sitting with Mabel where she seemed to be patting his face in fascination. He sounded unsure. “I’m sure it’ll be fine—whoa! Grunkle Stan, are _you_ wearing a blindfold too?”

You were completely un-reassured when your great uncle spoke. “Ha ha. Nah, but with these cataracts I might as well be. What is that, a woodpecker?”

The car hit something and the three of you screamed as numerous thumps jolted the car.

When the car finally came to a stop and Stan announced you could get out, you literally could not escape fast enough for your liking. Throwing open the car door, you jumped out and slammed it shut behind you. “Land! Beautiful, solid land!”

“My driving is not that bad,” Stan complained as he got out.

“I beg to differ,” Dipper muttered as he joined you and Mabel on your side of the car.

Stan ignored him. “Okay, okay. Open 'em up!”

You reached up to remove the blindfold.

Stan stretched out his arms. “Ta-da! It's fishin' season!”

You and Mabel spoke, “Fishing?”

Dipper stared at Stan with suspicion. “What're you playin' at, old man?”

Stan looked over to the lake. “You're gonna love it! The whole town's out here!”

Taking a look, you decided that there was indeed a lot of people out fishing.

Stan nodded. “That's some quality family bonding!”

Dipper frowned. “Grunkle Stan, why do you wanna bond with us all of a sudden?”

Stan turned to the three of you. “Come on, this is gonna be great! I've never had fishing buddies before. The guys from the lodge won't go with me: they don't "like" or "trust" me.”

You watched as he made air quotation marks. Well, you couldn’t really blame them…

Mabel whispered to the two of you. “I think he actually wants to fish with us.”

Stan stared down at the three kids before him. “Hey, I know what'll cheer you sad sacks up.” 

You flinched as he suddenly slapped something down on your head. 

“Pow! Pines family fishing hats! That-that's hand stitching, you know.”

As one, the three of you reached up to take off the hats on your head to look at it. There were names on the hats and yours read ‘MAVIS’. Glancing over at Mabel’s, you saw the ‘L’ on the "MABEL" peel off. Glancing past her, you saw that Dipper’s read ‘DIPPY’.

Stan continued. “It's just gonna be you, me, and those goofy hats on a boat for ten hours!”

You and Mabel cringed as Dipper repeated. “Ten hours?”

Stan pulled out a book and held it out for you to see. “I brought the joke book!”

Dipper panicked. “No! NO!”

Mabel whispered, “There has to be a way out of this.”

A sudden distraction came in the form of an old man raising ruckus. 

“I SEEN IT! I SEEN IT AGAIN!!” You watched as the old man ran from dock, crashing into and overturning various things. “The Gravity Falls Gobblewonker! Come quick before it scrabdoodles away!”

You made a face as he proceeded to dance.

Mabel was more vocal. “Awww... He's doing a happy jig!”

The old man turned to Mabel. “NOOO! It's a jig of grave danger!”

You witnessed a man appear and proceeded to spray the old man with a spray bottle. “Hey, hey! Now what did I tell you about scaring my customers? This is your last warning, Dad!”

The old man insisted, “But I got proof this time, by gummity!”

You followed Mabel and Dipper while Stan hung back to change his clothes. However, he was quick about it and was able to join the crowd as the old man reached the end of the dock and pointed at a destroyed boat in the water.

“BEHOLD! It's the Gobble-dy-wonker what done did it! It had a long neck like a gee-raffe! And wrinkly skin like...like this gentleman right here!” 

He pointed at Stan who was picking his ear. “Huh?”

The old man continued. “It chawed my boat up to smitheroons, and shim-shammed over to Scuttlebutt Island! YOU GOTTA BELIEVE ME!”

The sheriff in a nearby boat spoke into his radio. “Attention all units! We got ourselves a crazy old man!”

Everyone but you and the rest of the Pines and the ranger pointed and laughed at the old man. The ranger shook his head in what looked like shame before he too walked off with the crowd.

The old man hung his head and walked off too. “Aww, donkey spittle! Aw, banjo polish!”

Stan commented, “Well, that happened. Now let's untie this boat and get out on that lake!”

He stepped into a rowboat and started untying it from the dock.

You pulled out sunblock from your satchel and proceeded to apply it to your skin. Sun burn was not something you wanted to experience.

Dipper and Mabel, meanwhile, quickly had a conversation about some kind of monster picture contest. He tried to intice you by offering to split the prize three ways, but you had no interest in hunting a monster. Why Dipper thought that would in any way be a good idea eluded you. You did, however, at least glance at the advertisement he was showing you, but beyond that you were not interested in the least.

Dipper snapped his fingers in front of Mabel’s daydreaming face. “Mabel! Mabel?”

Mabel snapped out of it and beamed at him. “Dipper, I am one million percent on board with this!”

He smiled back and turned to you, “Mavis?”

“I decline,” you replied, rubbing the last of the sunblock along your arm. “You two may split the prize two ways instead of three.”

Dipper’s face fell as Mabel counted on her hands. “Oh, that’s fifty-fifty! Two fifties!”

Dipper shook his head slightly but leaned down to Stan. “Grunkle Stan! Change of plans: we're taking that boat to Scuttlebutt Island, and we're gonna find that Gobblewonker!”

Stan looked decidedly unimpressed as Mabel and Dipper chanted, “Monster hunt! Monster hunt!”

The old man briefly returned. “Monster hunt!”

Dipper and Mabel stopped chanting to stare at him. He stopped chanting, “Monster... Eh... I'll go.”

You flinched as a large honking sound suddenly occurred.

Soos pulled up in his boat. “You dudes say somethin' about a monster hunt?”

Mabel smiled, “Soos!”

Soos greeted the girl. “Wassup, hambone!” They proceeded to fist bump and make explosion noises. He continued, “Dude, you could totally use my boat for your hunt. It's got a steering wheel, chairs; normal boat stuff.”

Stan raised his hands. “All right, all right, let's think this through. Ya kids could go waste your time on some epic monster-finding adventure, or you could spend the day learning how to tie knots and skewer worms with your Great Uncle Stan!”

You watched as Mabel and Dipper looked at Soos in his boat. He… did a robot dance. _Why?_ You shook your head as they looked back at Stan in his leaky old boat. You looked too and wrinkled your nose as he sniffed his left armpit. Your siblings looked at Scuttlebutt Island in the distance. They grinned at each other, coming to a decision, and immediately looked at you but you shook your head. They frowned in disappointment before shrugging, waving goodbye, and jumping into Soos’ boat.

Stan, having briefly looked away during this exchange to finish untying the boat, asked, “So, whaddaya say?”

He looked up in time to see Mabel and Dipper drive off laughing with Soos in his boat toward Scuttlebutt Island, leaving him behind.

Mabel’s voice drifted back, “We made the right choice!”

Soos cheered, “Yes!”

Stan scowled. “Ingrates! Aw, who needs 'em? I got a whole box of creepy fishing lures to keep me company.”

You watched as after a moment of looking at the lure with flies buzzing around them, Stan cringed in disgust and closed the box. He didn’t seem to notice you as you were slightly behind him, so you spoke up.

“Is that boat safe?”

“Ahh!” Stan whirled around in surprise but lit up once he laid eyes on you standing on the dock with your fishing hat still on your head. “Mavis! Good girl! You wanted to go fishing with your Grunkle Stan instead of going on some lame monster hunt, right?”

You blinked. “Well, I did not want to go on a monster hunt.”

Ignoring the fact that you weren’t saying you _did_ want to fish with him, Stan waved you over. “Come on, pumpkin. Let’s get fishing!”

Taking his hand, you carefully stepped down into the leaky boat and took a seat. Stan reached somewhere and pulled out a lifejacket. “Put this on, sweetie.”

Eying the leaking boat, you gratefully did so.

Soon, the motor was going and you and Stan were off to go fishing.

***

“Hey, do you know what kind of music you should listen to when fishing?”

“I refuse to walk into your jokes.”

“Something catchy!”

“That is terrible.”

***

“I am not touching a worm so I can torture it.”

“It’s just bait, pumpkin. On a side note, do you know what you get when you cross a fishing lure with a gym sock?”

“I am sure you will tell me.”

“A hook, line, and stinker!”

“Are you going to do this to me all day?”

***

“What did the fish say when it hit a concrete wall?”

“I do not know.”

"Dam!"

“…”

“Ahah! Is that a smile I see?”

“ _No._ ”

“It’s totally a smile!”

“If it is anything, it is a slight grin.”

“I’ll make you laugh yet!”

***

The fishing rod in your hands gave a sharp yank and your grip instantly tightened on it. “Great Uncle Stan?”

Stan looked over to see your fishing rod bending and yanking in the water. He smiled, “Well! It looks like you’ve got a fish on the other end. Reel it in, Mavis!”

Pursing your lips in concentration, you tried to do so, but the rod gave another yank and you aborted the motion. “I cannot! The fishing rod will slip out of my grasp!”

The rod yanked again and you were nearly certain that the boat _moved_ too. However, that couldn’t be right.

“Whoa,” Stan grinned. “You’ve got a strong fish on the other end.”

You paled beneath your fishing hat as you wondered how big a fish would have to be to _move a boat_. “Great Uncle Stan…!”

“You can do this, sweetie,” Stan replied. “Reel that sucker in!”

And, after much whining, you finally started to reel it in. The boat jerked several times and slowly slid across the water as you fought to reel in the fish. _You did not like this._ “Great Uncle Stan!”

“Don’t give up!”

You gritted your teeth and forced yourself to not scream in panic as the rod yanked in your hands again. If only the line would snap, then you could give up on it! But no, the damn thing kept in one piece, so you continued trying to reel in the thing caught on your hook. You yelped as the boat jerked forward once again, your fishing rod deeply bent but not broken.

“Bring it in closer, sweetie! I’ve got the net!”

Struggling to crank the reel, you yelled, “We do not need a net! We need a freaking _shotgun!_ ”

Stan laughed. You closed your eyes and leaned back, pulling on the fishing rod, just wanting this to be _over_. You yelped again as you fell back, the line going slack.

“AHA!” Stan beamed as he held up a fishing net with a massive fish flailing around in it. “You did it, Mavis! You caught your first fish!”

People in nearby boats who had been watching the drama—it was hard to ignore both your screaming and the boat moving on its own—cheered and clapped. Some even whistled as Stan proudly held the fish up for viewing. You looked up at him and the fish with wide eyes. He laughed and held out his hand, helping you back into your seat. You flinched away from the flailing beast.

“Mavis.”

You looked up at Stan to find him smiling at you.

“I’m proud of you.”

A red flush slowly crept up your face despite your efforts to force it down. You didn’t say anything, so Stan just laughed again and clapped your shoulder.

Just then a boat raced past and you could have sworn you heard Mabel and Dipper screaming, but when you turned to look, you only saw a wave of water bearing down on you. Your eyes widened again but you had no chance to do anything before it was upon you both.

“Waah,” you cried softly, soaked from head to toe.

“Ugh,” Stan groaned, also soaked. [He still kept a firm grip on the fishing net and the fish therein. He wasn’t about to let his great-niece’s catch get away, after all.] 

Setting the net and fish down, he reached up to take off his hat and wring the water out of it. You followed suit, frowning at the distance. 

“Great Uncle Stan, do you think that was Mabel and Dipper just now?”

Stan slapped his wet hat back on. “So they’re racing around the lake. Big deal.” He grinned back at you. “You’re the one who has a cool fishing story to tell!”

You resisted the urge to roll your eyes. “I screamed for most of it. That is not a story I want to tell them.”

Stan slapped your back. “Come on, it’ll be a great story! You’ll all laugh about it years from now.”

“Mm,” you replied, staring down at your wet hat, mentally debating whether to put it back on or not.

[Stan glanced at his great-niece. She looked so much like Mabel, yet her personality was so different. She complained for most of the day and ridiculed his jokes, but she had stayed with him, and he did have fun today. He smiled down at her catch laying on the bottom of the boat.

His smile slipped away as he thought of Mabel and Dipper’s conversation. He stared at his wrinkled hands, remembering the _real_ Stanford Pines. If only they hadn’t grown so far apart, maybe…

He shook his head as his great-niece placed her wet hat back on her head. He eyed the colorful stitching, remembering the constant grumbling yet exciting feeling as he had worked on their hats. The real reason he wanted this fishing trip was for the three of them to spend time together. Instead, two ran off with Soos and one stayed with him, their preferences creating yet another distance between them.

He doesn’t want what happened to him and Ford to happen between these three kids too.

But for all they’ve had fun today, Mavis is an enigma. She’s not like Mabel or Dipper, and he’s already been on the receiving end of one of her so-called infamous ‘silences’. He doesn’t want to push her away.

But he has to _try_ talking to her. He has to try to make her see that the power to fix her relationship with her siblings is in her hands, of only she’d use it.]

“Say, Mavis…”

You looked up from under the limp brim of your fishing hat.

“I overheard Mabel and Dipper speaking a while ago.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “They miss you, you know.”

You felt a frown form on your face as you looked away. “I cannot stay the way I was as a child. I do not always want them near me, nor do I want them to always want to know what I am doing, or what secrets I may or may not be keeping.” You clasped your hands together. “I do not hate them, Great Uncle Stan. I simply… do not wish to always be with them.”

Stan sat back and looked up at the sky that was slowly turning orange. “There’s a difference between not wanting them near and not being able to have them near.” He turned his gaze back to you, but you didn’t meet his eyes. “Just… remember that, next time you want to yell at them in anger. You might end up saying something you regret, something you might not be able to take back because of circumstance, or just because that’s the way words are.

“Try not to say or do something to them that you won’t be able to fix. Try… try to avoid this old man’s mistakes.”

You rubbed your arm against your nose. “You are not that old, Great Uncle Stan.”

He chuckled. “Maybe. Well, let’s head back in, shall we?”

You nodded, and stared at the water as he started the motor back up. Soon you were back on your way to shore, and you closed your eyes to enjoy the breeze rushing by.

Suddenly Dipper’s voice cut through the air. “Hey! Over here!”

Opening your eyes, you saw a beat-up boat with Mabel, Dipper and Soos on it. Both boats came to a stop. Dipper lifted a disposable camera up and took a photo of you and Stan.

Stan blinked in surprise, “What the-- Kids? I thought you two were off playing "Spin the Bottle" with Soos!”

Dipper glanced away. “Well, we spent all day trying to find a ‘legendary’ dinosaur.”

Mabel added, “But we realized, the only dinosaur we wanna hang out with is right here. Also with the young dinosaur.”

You were not a dinosaur, young or old, thank you very much!

Stan scowled. “Save your sympathy! We've been having a great time withoutcha'!” He counted off items on his fingers. “Boating around, tellin’ jokes, fishing.” He lifted up the fishing net with your dead fish in it. “Mavis caught this and that was fun.”

Dipper smiled awkwardly. “So... I guess there isn't room in that boat for three more?”

Stan glared at Dipper and Mabel. The two elder Pines kids put on their hats.

Stan’s expression softened. “You knuckleheads ever seen me thread a hook with my eyes closed?”

Dipper brightened. “Five bucks says you can't do it!”

Stan grinned. “You're on!”

Dipper came over into the boat.

Mabel cheered, “Five more bucks says you can't do it with your eyes closed, plus me singing at the top of my lungs!”

Stan smiled, “I like those odds!” Mabel and Soos climbed into the Stanowar as well. Stan looked at Soos. “Whoa! What happened to your shirt?”

Soos replied, “Long story, dude.”

Dipper raised his camera, “All right, everybody get together. Say fishing!”

Stan pulled you and Mabel in for a photo. The three of you chimed with varying degrees of enthusiasm, “Fishing!”

Soos stepped into the picture, but you doubted his whole body would show up in the finished photo. “Dude, am I in the frame?”

The rest of twilight was spent taking pictures and having fun on the crowded boat. You let go of your reservations and just enjoyed hearing Mabel and Dipper laughing. You didn’t smile for any of the photos, but somehow, you looked happy anyway.

***

[Stan opened the door to the Mystery Shack before standing aside to let the kids tumble in before him. The two older kids laughed while Mavis followed after them contentedly enough. She seemed to have taken his words to heart, and they did seem to be getting along more than they were this morning. Definitely better than the past few days, at least.

He smiled for a moment before it slipped away. Ah, he wanted to do something else for them, to keep the good mood going…

“Hey, kids.”

They stopped and looked back at him.

Stan glanced away from them. “I, uh, overstocked some stuff earlier. Why don’t each of you pick something out?”

Dipper stared at him suspiciously. “What’s the catch?”

Stan grumbled, “The catch is pick something before I change my mind.”

He watched as they proceeded to look around the shop. Dipper went up to a display of hats and picked one up. He took off his fishing hat to try it on. Smiling, he nodded at his reflection. “I’ve been wanting new hat, and this will do fine.”

Mavis was near the keychains. “I have been wanting one of these.”

He saw her choose a UFO key chain. She looked deeply satisfied, so he didn’t comment or try to change her mind. When Mabel chose a grappling hook, of all things, he did ask if she wouldn’t want a doll instead. The three Pines stared at she proceeded to rappel herself up and cheered, “Grappling hook!”

He shrugged. “Fair enough.” He held up Mavis’s catch of the day. “Now who wants fresh fish?!”

Two cheered while the other just shrugged.]

“You cook, I eat.”

Dipper laughed. “Take it or leave it, basically.”

Mabel laughed with him. “We’re not picky, Grunkle Stan.”

Your great uncle waved you all off. “Yeah, yeah. Go change. I’ll call you when dinner is ready.”

The three of you raced up the stairs.

***

(The fifth diary entry details the events of the day before making mention of the previous entries.)

_So things have improved since I last wrote about my falling out with Mabel and Dipper. We are now on better terms. I think it would not be remiss to say that Great Uncle Stan is to thank for that. The Family Fun Day was not the waste I expected it to be._

_Still, I enjoy my time alone. I hope I can have that time tomorrow, lest I quickly grow irritable once again._

_In the future, I will keep the advice given to me by Great Uncle Stan in mind. I… I do not wish to say or do something irreparable to Mabel or Dipper. I do not wish to have that same look upon my face as he did. I love Mabel and Dipper. I do not want to lose them._

_Please… if I ever do or say something to hurt them, let it never be too late for me to fix it._

_Sincerely,_

_Mavis_

(The fifth entry ends.)

**That's what people do who love you. They put their arms around you and love you when you're not so lovable.**

**~Deb Caletti**


	5. Cold Silence

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: ...probably a plot hole here somewhere... also probably just going to leave it...

You returned to the Mystery Shack one twilight to find that the yard was slightly more of a mess than usual. Dismissing it as unimportant, you proceeded to the inside where you hoped dinner would be waiting. It was, but you were fully distracted by the extra…figure…at the table.

“Mavis,” Mabel greeted. She waved a hand at the statue next to Stan. “Meet Wax Stan! I made him myself!”

“Impressive,” you conceded, taking a seat at the table. “It seems your skills in arts and crafts has exceeded my expectations.”

Mabel beamed. “Thank you! I’m always glad to exceed in anything!”

Stan laughed, “Well you did great work on this one, sweetie!”

Dipper swallowed a mouthful of food. “Did anything interesting happen during your day?”

“Nothing that can compare to a new wax figure,” you replied.

“It’s not just a wax figure,” Mabel said. “Soos found a whole room full of wax figures! They were in a room hidden behind wallpaper!”

“Show me later,” you requested.

“Sure thing,” Dipper replied.

“Go to bed after that,” Stan said. “You three knuckleheads need your rest.”

Thus, after finishing the dishes, your elder siblings showed you to a room full of wax figures.

“There’s Wax Sherlock Holmes, Wax Shakespeare, Wax Genghis Khan…” Dipper continued listing all the names he knew of the wax figures. Mabel was adding her own commentary on their clothing, and when they were done they turned to you with smiles on their faces. Dipper asked, “Well, what do you think?”

You stared at the nearest wax figure, noting the human-size shape, the shiny but lifelike faces, the eyes that seemed to follow you, and counting just how many there were in the room with you and your siblings... You faced him and answered honestly.

“I think I have discovered a new phobia.”

Dipper and Mabel watched as you turned quick marched out of the room and after a moment they scrambled to catch up. “Mavis!”

Once they exited the room behind you, you slammed the door shut and held your hands against it. “Is there a key?”

Your siblings shook their heads. You frowned and quickly walked away from the door, heading up to the attic. You heard your siblings following and you risked a glance behind them at the door. It was still closed. You shifted your gaze to them. “We’re locking the door tonight.”

(Dipper watched Mavis break into a run and dash up the stairs with more force than usual. He looked at Mabel as they climbed the stairs. “Did you know she’s afraid of wax figures?”

Mabel shook her head. “She seemed fine with Wax Stan…”

Dipper hummed thoughtfully, “But that was only one. I think she’s afraid that there’s so many.”

Mabel tilted her head. “Well, one of them _did_ have a real ax.”

Dipper walked across the attic to their bedroom. “I think we should try finding the key to that door. Mavis might sleep better if we could lock it.”)

“I would,” you confirmed, overhearing his voice. In the time it had taken your elder siblings to arrive, you had managed to shed your day clothes and change into your pajamas. You brushed your hair, clearing any tangles that had formed. “I do not even want to entertain the idea of those things have free roam of the house.”

“They’re just wax,” Dipper said, trying to reassure you as he took off his hat and vest. Kicking off his shoes, he turned his back so Mabel could change. “It’s not like they’re going to move around—“He stopped as you shuddered and made a sound of terror. He looked at you in concern, “Whoa, you really don’t like them, do you?”

Mabel, having shimmied into her purple nightgown, dashed over to you and threw her arms around you. “Don’t worry, Mavis! We’ll set up the best alarm system so they can’t get out or get to you!”

You let loose a sigh and leaned into your sister, wanting to believe her. After a moment, Mabel kissed your hair and hopped off your bed. “Come on, let’s go brush our teeth.”

Soon the three of you had mouthfuls of toothpaste. Mabel suggested a toothbrush race, but before it could begin, you all heard Stan scream in horror. 

“No... No... Noooooo!”

Glancing at each other, you all quickly finished brushing your teeth and gargled water before heading downstairs to find out what was wrong. Dipper was last, but you and Mabel waited for him. Reaching the television room, you found Stan over a headless Wax Stan.

“Wax Stan! He's been... m-murdered!“

Mabel fainted, prompting Dipper to catch her. You huddled next to him and shivered, hiding your face against him.

_If you went to check on the wax museum door, would you find it open?_

(Dipper didn’t know what to do. In his arms he had one unconscious sister, and yet right next to him was another shivering in fright, _and_ across from him Grunkle Stan was in distress over the headless wax image of himself.

How could this have happened? What should he do?!)

***

Stan ended up calling the police while the three of you remained huddled together on the floor. Mabel regained consciousness just before they arrived and was able to stand back up. You didn’t let go of Dipper’s t-shirt and stuck close to him while frequently glancing behind you to make sure nothing was sneaking up on you all.

Stan explained the situation to the two police officers now in the room with your group. “I got up to use the john, right? And when I come back, blammo! He's headless!”

Mabel was distraught. “My expert handcrafting... besmirched.” She wept. “Besmiiiirrrched!”

Dipper placed his hands on her shoulders in silent comfort mode. He asked, “Who would do something like this?”

One of the officers, Deputy Durland, spoke to the sheriff. “What's your opinion, Sheriff Blubs?”

Sheriff Blubs immediately put himself on your ‘disliked’ list. “Look, we'd love to help you folks, but let's face the facts... this case is unsolvable.”

Dipper, Mabel and Stan yelled, “What?!”

Stan shook his fist. “You take that back, Sheriff Blubs!”

Dipper asked, “You're kidding, right? There must be evidence, motives. You know, I could help if you want.”

Mabel immediately backed him up. “He's really good. He figured out who was eating our tin cans!”

You were still watching the area behind you as Dipper spoke seriously. “All signs pointed to the goat.”

Stan backed them up. “Yeah, yeah! Let the boy help. He's got a little brain up in his head.”

Blubs spoke, getting your attention. “Oooh! Would you look at what we got here! City boy thinks he's gonna solve a mystery with his fancy computer phone!”

…and your _ire_.

Durland hooted, “City boooy! City booooooy!”

You bristled, finally turning to glare at them. “ _Excuse me!_ ”

The room froze at your sudden burst of anger and Dipper realized he should have been paying attention to how tightly you were clenching his t-shirt.

You continued glaring at the two officers in the room. “You seem to be missing the point!” You released one hand from Dipper’s clothing to point at Stan. “Someone tried to _murder_ our great uncle. We three _children_ nearly had to discover a _dead body_. And what do you two do when you arrive?” Your glare intensified as you stopped pointing to clench your fist at your side. 

“You _laugh_.”

Blubs and Durland looked chastised and slightly ashamed as they fidgeted under your hard stare.

Suddenly Blub's walkie-talkie activated and a man’s voice came through. “Attention, all units. Steve is about to fit an entire cantaloupe in his mouth. Repeat, an entire cantaloupe!”

Your eye twitched. Well apparently Steve wanted to _court death_.

Durland muttered, “It's a 23-16…”

Blubs waved his hand. “Well, there’s no actual dead body here, and no evidence of a break-in, so this case really is unsolvable.” He patted Durland’s shoulder. “Let's move!”

You huffed and returned to clutching Dipper’s t-shirt as the two useless officers quickly left the room. You muttered darkly into his shoulder, “Useless, the both of them.”

[Stan grumbled under his breath. Mavis had a point. Wax Stan had taken a fatal hit meant for _him_. If it hadn’t been for Wax Stan…

Dipper spoke up, sounding concerned. “Oh, don’t cry, Mavis.”

He looked up to see a few tears slide down Mavis’s face. Mabel immediately went to her sister’s other side and wrapped her in a hug.

“It’ll be okay,” Mabel said, trying to comfort her little sister. “Grunkle Stan is okay. He’s right over there and not a scratch on him.”

Mavis sniffled and rubbed her head against her brother.

Did the threat to his life really scare her that much? Sure they had a great time fishing just the other day, but Stan kind of thought that Mavis didn’t really care about him one way or the other.

He heard her sniffle again as Mabel started patting her hair.

She was just a kid, though, and the near miss has clearly upset her…

Stan straightened with new determination.]

“Don’t worry, kids.” You heard some shuffling as Stan joined the group to put his hand on your head, Mabel’s slipping away at the last second. He ruffled your hair. “No need to cry, Mavis. Your old Grunkle Stan is just fine. No dirty scoundrel is going to get the best of me!”

You wiped away your tears and nodded.

***

(Grunkle Stan tried to send us up to bed, but Mavis wouldn’t go until he checked the attic for an ax-wielding, homicidal maniac. She made us stick close to him until he gave the all clear, and before he left she begged him to lock his door tonight. We locked the attic too, though with a board since there wasn’t really a proper lock. Mavis didn’t want to sleep alone, so now she’s fast asleep next to Mabel.

He whispers into the dark. “Mabel?”

A whisper comes back. “What?”

Dipper continued whispering to avoid waking Mavis. “Mabel, you and me are going to find the jerk who did this, and get back that missing wax head, too.”

“What about Mavis?”

Dipper frowned in the dark room. “I think she’ll be too scared to join us. I’m not sure she’ll even go far from the Mystery Shack tomorrow.”

“…I haven’t seen her cry in ages. You?”

Dipper thought about it. He… really hadn’t. He can’t clearly recall the last time he saw his little sister cry over anything. He knows she has, he knows he’s seen her cry, he just can’t remember when. “No…”

They fall silent as Mavis mumbles and shifts. After a moment, Mabel whispers back, “I’m in. Any jerk who scares Mavis enough to make her cry is the biggest jerk ever. I won’t let them get away with it!”

Mavis sighs in her sleep and he waits a moment before replying. “All right. You and me, we’ll solve this mystery and make Mavis feel better!”

“Right on!”

Silence falls after that, and he’s nearly asleep when a thought hits him, making him jerk wide awake.

_Mavis isn’t guarding her book right now._

Sitting up in the dark, he peers over at his sisters. He whispers, “Mabel?”

No reply comes from the softly breathing girls.

Biting his lip, Dipper seriously considers taking Mavis’s satchel and sneaking out of the room to read her mysterious book. Why was she so possessive of it? Not even waiting her out as yielded any results. His little sister steadfastly refuses to share the book she found.

He wishes he _had_ volunteered to go hang up those dumb signs. He probably would have been the one to find the book and he wouldn’t be left wondering like this.

Dipper freezes, suddenly realizing he’s next to Mavis’s bed.

_What is he thinking?_

Shaking his head, Dipper quickly tip-toes back to his bed and slides under the covers, frustrated with himself. Mavis is already upset. She doesn’t need him invading her privacy and making her feel worse than she already does.

Dipper muttered to himself. “Don’t be dumb…”)

***

You aren’t willing to wander too far from the Mystery Shack the next day. Instead you hang out in the backyard, away from Great Uncle Stan who was planning a funeral, but also away from Mabel and Dipper who seem to be investigating the crime scene. Uninterested in involving yourself in either situation, you let them be and focused on the book on your lap.

There is nothing about wax figures in the journal, but that had been a long shot anyway. Sighing, you closed the journal and returned it to your satchel. This morning when you first woke up, you had been struck by the terrible thought that Dipper might have stolen it in your moment of forgetfulness, but nothing in the satchel had been disturbed.

Rubbing your eyes, you wondered what time it was. Putting the journal away in your satchel, you stood up from the outside couch and stretched, reaching high and cracking your back. There, that felt better. Folding your arms across your chest, you stared at the woods without seeing them.

If Gnomes were real, then was it so far-fetched to believe that wax figures could move on their own? Besides which, the Gnomes had an entry in Journal 3, as did _a lot of other things_. Moving wax figures was hardly beyond the realm of belief, _if_ the journal was true, anyway. Biting your lip, you tapped your foot on the porch.

Wax Stan was beheaded only because Great Uncle Stan wasn’t actually in the television room. If the real Stan had been there… Sheriff Blubs and Deputy Durland, for all they were useless, did check the house for forced entry, of which there was none. The doors and windows had been locked as well, so really, what other person or thing could the attempted murderer have been? It certainly wasn’t you, Mabel or Dipper as the three of you were all together during the time of the beheading. Stan was too upset over the headless wax figure to have done it himself, the man was in the midst of preparing a funeral for goodness sake.

But even if your theory was nonsense and the wax figures were just wax figures, _you still didn’t like them._ You certainly didn’t want them in the house with you either, but you doubted the Stan or your siblings would help you move them out. There were too many for you to drag out and ditch in the woods, so that left destroying them somehow.

Thinking of Wax Stan’s headless figure, an idea came to you.

But it would require going into the wax museum alone.

…Well, here’s hoping that daylight offers some sort of protection…

***

Standing at the open door of the wax room, you flexed your fingers around the shovel over your shoulder. You had wanted to use an ax but you couldn’t find one. The one the wax woman was carrying yesterday is gone, perhaps a victim of Mabel and Dipper’s adventures, and if Soos had one for use around the Mystery Shack then you couldn’t find it. Thus, you were left to find the next ax-like weapon you could find and that was the shovel.

Stepping into the sunlit room, you warily eyed the wax figures around you. Shifting your grip on the shovel, you used it to reach out and poke one of the nearest wax figures.

No response.

Okay, so either sunlight really was a deterrent, or they were trying to lure you into a false sense of security. The slight chance that you might just be delusional was ignored.

Walking further into the room, you spread out a tarp you stole from Soos’ handyman stuff. You didn’t know where Soos himself was, but you hoped he wouldn’t walk in on you. In fact, you hoped no one would walk in on you, so you had to do this quickly.

Walking over to the nearest wax figure, you shoved it over and let it fall. Lifting up the shovel, you lined it up, and _whack!_ Hmm, not enough force, you’ll have to do that again. Another _whack_ later, a wax head rolled free. Bending over, you picked it up and tossed it onto the tarp.

You had to hurry before someone found you and asked what you were doing.

Head after head joined the pile until only Wax Sherlock Holmes was left. Shoving the wax man down, you startled and dropped the shovel, staggering backwards as something rolled out from wax figure’s cape. That looked like… Picking up the shovel again, you tapped the new thing to turn it over, confirming your suspicions.

It was Wax Stan’s head.

Wax Sherlock Holmes did nothing.

_But he had done something._

“You…” Glaring down at the wax detective, you lifted the shovel again. “ _You tried to kill one of my family._ ”

_WHACK._

Wax Sherlock Holmes’s head rolled free. Leaning against your shovel, you bent over and stared at the unresponsive wax head.

You said nothing more.

***

Hauling a heavy tarp full of disembodied wax heads while also trying to not drop a shovel was irritatingly strenuous. Sweat dripped down your face and you almost hoped the wax heads weren’t warping. Not quite, though, so you carried on.

Now and then you came to a stop to dig a hole. Once dug, you would drop in a single head, fill the hole, put something heavy on top, and move on. In this manner, you inflicted your revenge.

_Great Uncle Stan was nearly beheaded._

To fully destroy them would be too quick a punishment.

_The anguish Mabel and **Dipper** would have suffered would have been immense._

No, first you will deny them their bodies and the freedom of movement.

_Your siblings would have **cried.**_

Now, _now_ you will deny them even each other and leave them alone in the ground.

_**Dipper would have cried.** _

You stared down at Wax Sherlock Holmes’s head as it lay in its new home.

“You know what you did.”

***

^ _It laughed because this was better than last time with the Gnome. Death was permanent and boring. Leaving the sentient wax heads alone in the dark without hope?_

 _ **Hilarious.**_ ^

***

You returned home by early twilight to find your siblings helping Stan reattach Wax Stan’s head.

Dipper noticed your presence. “Mavis! Where were you? I was so worried!”

You blinked. “Why?”

Mabel piped up, “The maniac was back, and this time they beheaded all the other wax figures!”

(It didn’t cross their minds that Mavis might have done it. She had the motive, the time, and lacked an alibi, _but they never thought to doubt or suspect her._

It was their failing, their blind spot, because for all Mavis was abrasive and caustic and distant, surely she wasn’t anything but their innocent baby sister.)

“Bah, who cares about the others?” Stan happily finished setting Wax Stan’s head on straight. “What matters is that I have Wax Stan’s head back!”

“But now you have to cancel the re-opening of the wax museum,” Dipper pointed out.

Stan waved his hand in dismissal. “It wasn’t a draw anyway. Hasn’t been since I locked that old room up, which is why it was locked up, actually.”

Mabel sighed. “Who would do such a thing? Those wax figures never hurt anybody!”

You resisted the urge to snort.

Stan muttered, “I wonder if I can return the casket…”

Right, the funeral for Wax Stan… You blinked and stared at your great uncle. “You actually bought a coffin for Wax Stan?”

“Well I wasn’t just going to unceremoniously throw him into a hole in the ground!”

You rubbed the back of your neck. “I sort of imagined you would, actually.”

Dipper spoke up in response to Stan’s splutters. “I have to agree with Mavis.”

Mabel laughed. “You’re usually really cheap, Grunkle Stan.”

Stan scowled. “Ahh, whadda you kids know? I’m not made of money!”

“I am hungry,” you announced suddenly.

Mabel wrinkled her nose. “You’re dirty and sweaty, too. What have you been doing all day?”

You stared at nothing just to the left of Dipper. “…Playing outside…”

Mabel’s eyes widened. “You were playing? Without us?!”

You shrugged. “You two were busy with something today, were you not?”

“I guess I’ll get started on dinner,” Stan mumbled to himself, leaving the room.

Dipper nodded, ignoring Stan’s departure. “Yeah, we were looking for suspects. We, uh, didn’t find any.”

Mabel shuffled her feet. “If you hear anything about us getting the wrong person… yeah, we did.”

Dipper hissed, “Mabel!”

Mabel shrugged. “What? Better she hears it from us instead of someone else.”

You looked between them. “What are you talking about?”

Dipper groaned and ran a hand over his face. “Okay, we went investigating to try to find Wax Stan’s murderer.”

Mabel piped up happily, “We went into a bar!”

You half-glared at them. “You are both so lucky I am no snitch.”

They laughed, Dipper nervously but Mabel happily. 

They proceeded to fill you in on their day, cumulating in their wrongfully pinpointing the person…

***

// _That wretched little witch! That despicable child!_

**How dare she?**

How dare she do this to him? To them?! His wax friends, his companions of decades, all beheaded and buried alive!

_‘You know what you did.’_

And he would do it again, and add her corpse atop Stan’s!

Trying to wriggle free, more dirt just slipped into his wax mouth. Wax Sherlock Holmes raged in silence.//

Across the forest, beneath the ground, all the wax heads screamed in the damp dark, unheard.

***

Dipper sneezed.

Mabel squealed from her bed. “Aww, you sneeze like a kitten!”

You hid your mouth behind your hand as Dipper glared at Mabel.

***

(The sixth entry details the events of Wax Stan’s murder in English, but the following five paragraphs are written in code. The last part is in English.)

_According to Mabel, Dipper sneezes like a kitten. I have not been around kittens long enough to determine what they sneeze like, but the comparison was too funny to not record here. Poor Dipper, he really did not like that. He is growing up and wants to be seen as manly, not cute or adorable._

_He might not be manly in the traditional sense of masculine and strong, but he is manly in his own way. He stands up for what he believes in, and when we, his sisters, are in trouble, he is the first to come running, whether or not he will be able to actually help._

_Dipper is wonderful. He cannot see it in himself, but I do._

_I do._

_Goodnight,_

_Mavis_

(The sixth entry ends.)

**Revenge can only be found on the road to self-destruction.**

**~Wayne Gerard Trotman**


	6. Summer Romance

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And here's the chapter that confirms the pairing tag I have up. 
> 
> I used Google Translate, so if the French is wrong, you know why.
> 
> This is also the last chapter I have ready, and it drove me up the wall, so the next update won't be for a while.
> 
> See you next time.

You entered the TV room to see Mabel showing Dipper a literal loophole and making sound effects. A voice from the television filled the room. “So come down soon, folks. Gideon is expecting you.”

You stared at the group before cautiously asking, “Do I want to know?”

Mabel came over to wrap her arm around your shoulder. “We’re going to see a psychic!”

You made a face as you answered your own question. “I did not want to know.”

Mabel laughed as she and Dipper grabbed your arms. “Too late!”

And thus you found yourself marched down the road between Mabel and Dipper with Soos as an escort for the group heading off into the evening.

***

Sitting on a bench between your siblings, you folded your arms. “Why do I have the feeling that Great Uncle Stan would not approve of this little outing?”

You were ignored as Dipper commented on the Tent of Telepathy and pointed out their version of Soos.

Mabel clutched her bucket of popcorn in excitement as she noticed the show was about to begin. “It's starting! It's starting!”

You watched with disinterest as the curtains opened to reveal a white-haired boy in a blue suit.

The fat boy greeted the audience. “Hello America! My name is Li'l Gideon.”

Your eyebrow raised as he clapped his hands and doves flew out of his hair. The crowd cheered.

Dipper muttered, “That's Stan's mortal enemy?”

Mabel cooed, “But he's so wittle!”

You fidgeted as the boy continued speaking. He ‘predicted’ the audience’s next move, but you were unimpressed by his tactics. Dipper agreed, though Mabel tried to insist the both of you were impressed. 

The boy said, “Hit it, Dad!”

You sank into your seat as a large man started playing the piano. Gideon started singing a song and you were loath to admit that he wasn’t… _terrible_ at it. You had sort of expected him to be, but that should teach you to not judge by appearances.

“Come on, everybody, rise up! I want y'all to keep it going!”

The crowd, including Soos and the three of you, rose, seemingly unintentionally, and everyone excluding you and Dipper started to clap along with the beat.

“Wha—? How did he—?” Dipper looked as surprised as you felt. You certainly hadn’t meant to stand. 

Gideon proceeded to pick a few people out of the audience to sing about. Both you and Dipper continued to remain unimpressed. You did bristle when he went up to Mabel.

“I'll read your mind if I'm able~. Something tells me you're named Mabel!”

You nearly slapped your palm against your face as Mabel proceeded to be impressed. She was wearing a sweater _with her name on it_ , why couldn’t she see the obvious?

Gideon finished his song and the crowd cheered wildly. You sniffed as he drank some water and thanked the audience. Mabel cheered with the rest, but you and Dipper didn’t bother. Your group left the bench and exited the Tent of Telepathy.

Dipper commented, “Man, that kid's an even bigger fraud than Stan! No wonder our uncle's jealous.”

You tuned out their chatter and glanced back at the tent in time to catch Gideon staring after your group. You twitched and he flinched as you caught each other’s eyes. He disappeared back into the tent and you turned to catch up to Mabel, Dipper, and Soos.

Ugh, that was weird.

***

*Gideon has his eyes on the bright, laughing girl from last night. Mabel is beautiful and she will be his. She doesn’t know it yet, but she will soon enough.

Walking up to the eyesore that is the Mystery Shack, he raises his hand to knock when his ears pick up the sound of music. It doesn’t sound like a record or the radio so he pauses to try to locate the sound. He nearly dismisses it and moves to raise his hand again when the sound rises, ensnaring his attention.

Curious now, he walks around the Mystery Shack to locate the sound.

There is the other girl, the one whose name he doesn’t know, the frowny one to Mabel’s brilliant smile. The sound is coming from her, and as she turns around he can see the source. She is wielding a violin and she is making it _sing_.

He thought Mabel was beautiful, and in her way she most definitely is. He thought he loved her, and for those few hours, maybe he had. 

But now he hears this siren’s song and he doesn’t know how to refuse the call. He sees her slowly gliding amidst the overgrown grass, gently swaying to the melody, and he can’t look away. Her head tilts as she draws the bow across the strings in the final chord and sunlight catches her hair as it lights her face. 

He is nine years old and he never stood a chance.*

***

It is an unpleasant jolt that runs through you when you open your eyes to see that you have an audience, even if that audience only numbers one. It’s because you don’t want an unexpected audience that you usually practice out in the woods.

It is doubly unpleasant when you recognize Gideon from the night before. The portly boy is staring at you like he’s never seen someone play the violin and you can’t help bristling because the last time someone—some _thing_ —looked at you like that, you ended up gutting him.

“It is rude to stare,” you snap, lowering your violin and bow.

The boy startles slightly. “My apologies, miss. I didn’t expect to come across a violinist here at the Mystery Shack, especially not one so lovely.”

Your eyes narrowed in suspicion.

He walked closer. “Now, I know we haven't formally met, but after yesterday's performance, I just couldn't get your sister’s laugh out of my head. You are sisters, right?”

You gently tapped the bow against your leg. “If you are referring to Mabel, then yes, we are related as sisters. If you are looking for her, she is currently inside. I would advise you to avoid our Great Uncle Stan, though.”

Gideon laughed nervously. “Yes, Stan is no fan of mine…” He stood straight and met your gaze. “I admit, I came here to acquaint myself with Mabel, but after hearing you play that violin, why, I find myself more intrigued by you. What do you say we step away from here, and chat a bit more?”

You raised your bow to forestall anything more. “Wait. From what I understand of our conversation here, you were first interested in Mabel, but have suddenly developed and interest in me.” You frowned and commanded, “Wait here.”

You left him standing in the yard as you headed back into the house and closed the door behind you. You didn’t see Stan as you searched for and found your siblings, so he was probably in his room or the bathroom. Upon laying eyes on Mabel, your train of thought momentarily derailed.

“Did you bedazzle your face?”

Mabel crossed her arms and seemed to repeat something she had already declared in your absence. “Unappreciated in my time!”

You shook your head, “Never mind. Mabel, come outside with me.” You glanced over at Dipper. “It is a girl thing.”

Dipper sat back down. “Girl thing. Got it.”

Mabel squealed and jumped on you. “Oh, oh, what is it?! Are we going to talk about boy bands and braid each other’s hair? Are we going to gossip about boys and paint each other’s nails and dry them in the sun?!”

You patiently bore her excitement. “You shall learn the purpose of our girl talk when we arrive outsi—!”

(Dipper watched Mabel drag Mavis outside and nearly wondered what life would have been like if he’d been born a girl too, but stopped that thought before it could fully form. He stood up and wandered off to find something to distract himself with.)

Mabel slammed the door shut and spun to face you. “Okay, we’re here! What girl thing are we going to do?!”

You took her wrist and lead her to where you left Gideon. “We are going to lay down the law with a boy and make him choose between us.”

Mabel’s smile faltered. “What?”

“Gideon,” you said, more to point him out to Mabel than anything. You stopped and brought your sister up beside you. “We two sisters made each other a promise. We promised to never date a boy who has dated the other, and we intend to keep that promise.”

“Uh, Mavis?”

You ignored Mabel to put a hand on your hip. “You will only get one shot with one of us.”

Mabel yanked on your clothing and hissed, “Mavis!”

You continued ignoring her to address the seemingly flabbergasted Gideon. “Let me make this clear: I do not want to be second choice, or to be the partner of someone who will forever second guess if he made the right decision in choosing me. If you are torn between us two, then I would prefer if you chose her.” You turned your head to Mabel. “Tell him your truth, Mabel, and we will leave him to make his choice.”

Mabel wrung her hands together. “Uh, um…” She glanced between you and the boy before sighing and taking a deep breath before speaking. “I think you’re cute, Gideon, but in a friend way. If you choose me, we can only ever be friends.”

You folded your arms. “There you have it. Having heard us Pines girls speak, we bid you farewell for two days that you may _carefully_ make your decision.” You held up a hand to cut off anything he was about to say. “Take those two days and think about it, Gideon. I will not accept a choice made in haste, nor will I allow Mabel to in this case. Leave now, and return in two days with your decision.”

Gideon gazed up at you. “You’re a force of nature, my dear. Very well, I shall return in two days, but before I go, let us formally introduce ourselves.” He bowed to you both. “I am Gideon Gleeful.”

Mabel smiled, “Mabel Pines!”

You nodded back, “Mavis Pines.”

He clapped his hands together. “Well then, Mabel, Mavis, I will see you on the morning of the third day.”

You waved as he left the property. After he vanished from sight, Mabel spun on you and grabbed your clothing. “What was that about?!”

You stared right back at her. “That was the girl thing I wanted to show you. A boy came here, telling me he was interested in you first, but then apparently changed his mind to me. I remember our promise, Mabel, so on the chance that you were interested in him, I had to let you know about it.”

Mabel released you. “But I’m not interested in him! At least, not like that!”

You tilted your head slightly, completely unconcerned. “Then if he chooses you, you will tell him that.”

Mabel groaned and threw herself on the ground. “This is not what I was expecting when you mentioned a girl thing.”

You stared down at her. “Well… if you have nail polish, we can do that.”

She popped up. “Yes! That will be the best!”

***

= _Eeeeek!_ It’s been _forever_ since Mavis let her do anything like this!

Lining up her bottles of nail polish, Mabel gestured to them, asking her little sister. “What color do you want?”

Mavis leaned forward and eyed the line up with the seriousness of any commitment she made. Giddy with excitement, Mabel bounced slightly as she waited for Mavis to make up her mind. Finally, she pointed at Sparkly Surge, eliciting a squeal from Mabel.

“I _knew_ you liked sparkly things too!”

“Guilty,” she replied, holding out her left hand.

“This is going to look great,” Mabel promised, carefully applying the sparkly coating to the first fingernail.

Soon, as she finished the first layer on the thumbnail, Mabel mused, “I wish we could do things like this more often.”

Mavis didn’t comment, but she didn’t get up and leave, either. In fact, she stayed and listened to her chatter and let her finished painting her nails and even let her put on a second coating!

Of course, being Mavis, she lifted her hands to admire them for a moment before holding out her hands.

“Take it off.”

Mabel just laughed, ignoring the expected request. “When your hands finish drying, you paint my nails, okay?”

Mavis huffed, but again, she didn’t leave and really, that’s all Mabel wanted.=

Your fingernails felt weird with nail polish on them, but if Mabel didn’t want to take it off, then fine. You could live with it.

Staring at her nails in concentration and letting her voice wash over you while giving the occasional hum in response, you completely missed the look Mabel gave you at one point as you carefully painted away.

She looked at you like Christmas had come early.

***

*In retrospect, perhaps he should have asked both girls to come to his dressing room for a makeover as a means of helping him make his decision. Oh well. They did seem to expect him to make his decision cold turkey with just the barest of interactions, but then again, he already knew which one he wanted, so nothing was lost.

Mavis. A French name meaning ‘joy’ or even ‘songbird’. Both seemed appropriate for his marshmalla.

Standing on a box, Gideon carefully taped another photo to the back of his door. His Mavis featured in each one, though each one was taken with her unaware. A couple pictures featured her with her siblings, Dipper and Mabel. Triplets, and according to the diner gossip, Mavis was the youngest and least social. Well, if she was the least social, then that ultimately meant less competition for her attention, so there was that silver lining to choosing her over the popular Mabel Pines.

“Oh my sweet peach dumpling,” Gideon crooned, tracing her face with his finger. “I’m goin’ to sweep you off your feet and when we’re all grown, we’ll have our happily ever after.”

Mavis Pines was going to be his, come hell or high water.*

***

In the two days before Gideon’s return, a few things of note occurred. First, there was the case if Stan’s name. Stan was in-between tours and talking on the phone while Wendy read a magazine and the three of you were tidying up the shop. When he spelled out his name, you paused in your work to stare at him.

Stan hung up the phone and turned to say something, but you spoke first. Staring at your great uncle, you asked. “I thought your name was Stanley?”

Stan’s eyes flitted back and forth, making your intuition perk up in suspicion. He did not help dispel your suspicion when he stammered, “Wh-what? Why would you think _that?_ ”

You pointed in the general direction of his vehicle. “Because your license plate is an abbreviation of ‘Stanley Mobile’.”

Dipper paused in his sweeping to lean on his broom. “Hey, yeah. That _is_ kind of suspicious.”

Stan laughed awkwardly, waving his hand. “The name is Stanford, kids. I only got that license plate because it was dirt cheap after the original buyer changed his mind. Stanley, Stanford, I thought, ‘Close enough!’ Ahaha…”

You and Dipper stared at the old man while Mabel proceeded to chat with Wendy. Stan sweated under the combined gaze of you and Dipper. Finally, you shrugged, deciding you weren’t going to get worked up about it. “I can see that. You are a miser, after all.”

Stan scowled. “And who gave you kids a free choice of anything in the shop?”

Dipper tugged at his cap, grudgingly admitting, “You did.”

You tapped your UFO keychain. “True, but one instance of generosity does not unmake a miser.”

Stan sighed and gestured to the door. “Why don’t you go practice your violin?”

You immediately snapped a salute. “I am away!”

Dipper stared, dumbstruck as you fled the shop. You heard his voice as you left.

“Are you _kidding_ me? She gets out of work, just like that?”

“Stop your moping kid and finish sweeping.”

There was also an accident one morning where you somehow managed to trip and fall down the stairs, resulting in the startled yelling of both your siblings and Stan to come see what happened. In shock at the bottom of the stairs, you remained unresponsive to their voices so as to not start crying in pain. Stan carefully wiggled your limbs and, finding nothing broken, twisted, or out of place, proceeded to lift you up and carried you back to bed where Dipper and Mabel fretted over your silent and bruising form.

(“’Have a nice trip’?” Dipper repeated sarcastically at his elder sister. “’See you next fall’?”

Mabel wrung her hands. “It was an automatic response! I didn’t stop and think she might actually be hurt, and I’m sorry, okay?”

Dipper sighed and turned his attention to his little sister who was still staring wide-eyed at the ceiling. He rubbed his arm. “Sh-should we call and tell mom and dad?”

Stan chipped in, “Let’s not do anything hasty. She’s not bleeding and she doesn’t have any broken bones. Watch, she’ll snap out of it soon enough.”

Dipper wasn’t so sure. If Mavis was hurt worse than she looked… “If she doesn’t snap out of it by lunch time then we at least have to take her to the doctor’s.” He stared at her seemingly frozen face and amended, “Or the nearest hospital.”)

Suddenly gasping loudly, you snapped out of your shock and closed your dry eyes. 

““Mavis!””

You registered the relieved voices of your siblings but didn’t open your eyes, even as hands grasped yours and another patted your hair. The pain was still present, but that would fade in time. You let out your gasp as a pained groan and silently vowed to always hold the handrail in the future.

“Are you okay?” Dipper, as concerned and caring as usual ( **thebestthesweetesttheoneyou—** ).

“’m fine.”

You sensed more than saw Dipper reel in shock while Mabel sighed in relief, “Oh, good.”

“No,” Dipper interjected, one of the hands holding yours letting go. You finally opened your eyes to see him gesturing wildly. “She’s not ‘fine’! Since when does Mavis speak in contractions?”

Both Stan and Mabel stared at him. “What?”

Dipper glanced between them. “Don’t tell me neither of you noticed she nearly never speaks in contractions? For goodness sake, Mabel, we _live_ with Mavis!”

They continued staring blankly. You, on the other hand, were gazing at him with intensity. He… _noticed_ something like that?

Dipper ran his free hand over his face before he turned his eyes back to you. He squeezed your hand. “Are you really sure you’re okay, Mavis?”

You closed your eyes for a brief moment and took a steadying breath before opening your eyes and speaking. “I am fine, Dipper. Somewhat sore, and probably bruised, but nothing else seems wrong.”

“There, you see?” Stan asked, slapping Dipper on the back. “She’s totally fine, and there’s no need to call anyone.”

Mabel sat on your bed and leaned over to ruffle your hair. “Graceful, little sis. Be careful on the stairs, okay?”

You winced at a painful throb from your right leg. “Yes.”

Afterwards, Stan actually gave the three of you _money_ to ‘go buy ice cream or whatever it is kids eat’. The thing was, he gave the three of you a lot more money than was strictly needed for just ice cream. Dipper, after counting the amount, had opened his mouth to no doubt question it, before suddenly finding Mabel’s hands over his mouth and your hands gripping his shoulders.

“Thanks Grunkle Stan,” Mabel chirped.

“Thank you, Great Uncle Stan,” you added.

The two of you proceeded to drag Dripper out of the Mystery Shack without letting him get a word out. On the way into town, Dipper convinced you both to spend only enough on ice cream and save the rest, just in case it was one of Stan’s traps like ‘that’s all you kids are getting this summer, period’ or ‘pay up, it was just a loan’. Having become somewhat familiar with Stan in the past few days since your arrival at Gravity Falls, you both agreed Dipper made sense.

Finally, there was also the disposal of the wax bodies. Soos built a bonfire and threw them in one at a time while Mabel and Dipper chased each other around the fire. That you declined to join them in favor of watching the wax bodies melt was just ‘Mavis being Mavis’ and certainly not of interesting note. There were no words to describe just how _satisfied_ you felt watching that wax melt.

It was almost enough to make you laugh.

***

(Dipper, having gotten the explanation of the ‘girl thing’ from a couple days ago, watched as Mabel paced and Mavis stifled a yawn. Clearly Mabel was more invested in this, but she had also whined to him in great detail about wanting to just be friends, so he wasn’t sure why she was so wound up about it. Mavis was typically blasé, seemingly uninterested in the fact that in a short while, one of them would be Gideon’s ‘date’, or even ‘girlfriend’.

Wrinkling his nose, Dipper wondered if his sisters knew or cared that Gideon was, according to Stan, only nine years old. Opening his mouth to voice this thought, he was cut off by a knock at the door.)

Mabel spun around with wide eyes while you, on the other hand, calmly stood up to go answer the door. Thankfully Stan was preoccupied with the stock and wouldn’t leave the shop until it was done. Mabel joined you and after a glance at each other, you opened the door.

You really hoped he had several of those suits and didn’t just wear the same one continually.

“Good day, ladies,” Gideon greeted.

“Hello,” Mabel replied, slightly strained.

“Good morning,” you returned.

“Well, I have made my decision with the utmost of care and I have returned as asked,” Gideon continued. He turned to your older sister. “Mabel.”

She cringed, her smile forced and dim.

Gideon lifted a hand to his chest. “I do hope you can accept my apologies. Of you two fine Pines ladies, I choose your sister because she is the loveliest siren I have ever laid eyes on.”

Mabel brightened. “Oh, don’t worry! I completely understand!” She threw an arm around your shoulder. “Just be good to her, okay?”

“Oh, I’ll be the best,” Gideon promised.

Mabel faltered slightly. “What?”

Gideon turned his attention to you. “Mavis, as you just heard, I have chosen you. Would you do me the honor of accompanyin’ me today?”

You had nothing planned for today that you couldn’t do tomorrow. While the introverted part of you cringed at the thought of going out with someone who was basically a stranger, you heard your mom’s voice asking you how you knew you didn’t like something if you didn’t even try it. She was referring to food, but the saying might be applicable in this case. After all, how did you know you didn’t like Gideon if you never gave him a chance?

You nodded. “Very well.”

Gideon lit up. “Great! Do you need to grab anything?”

You patted your satchel, feeling the familiar weight of Journal 3, and replied, “No need. We can go.”

=Mabel waved goodbye and watched as her little sister walked off with Gideon. When they were finally out of sight, she closed the door and returned to where Dipper was. He looked up from the television.

“How’d it go?”

She sat down beside him. “Well, he chose Mavis. I wasn’t looking forward to turning him down myself, so that’s a load off my back. They’ve gone off on… a date, I guess.”

Dipper tilted his head slightly. “You don’t sound too enthused about it. You don’t approve of Gideon?”

Mabel rubbed her arm. “I don’t know. For a moment, he kind of gave me creepy vibes, but he seems nice enough.”

Dipper sat up straighter. “You think there’s even a remote chance he could hurt Mavis?”

Mabel laughed. “Gideon is short, Dipper. What can he do to Mavis?”

Dipper laughed too, and Mabel pushed away the thought of suggesting they follow after them.

Mavis already got mad at them for asking to see a _book_. Mabel doesn’t want to see how mad Mavis will get if she ever finds them spying on her.=

***

Following Gideon out onto the roof of the warehouse, you took a moment to appreciate the sky and the air. Piedmont didn’t get air as clean as this, and it literally was a breath of fresh air.

“Come have a seat,” Gideon called, perched on the edge of the roof.

After carefully taking a seat on the roof next to Gideon, the two of you gazed at the distant town. People and cars moved around, much smaller than they would be in person. You tapped your foot against the warehouse. “This is an impressive view.”

Gideon spoke. “Mavis, when I'm up here lookin' down on all those little ol' people, I feel like I'm king of all I survey.” The dark shadows that had momentarily appeared on his face vanished as he suddenly laughed. “I guess that makes you my queen!”

You tilted your head slightly, still looking down at Gravity Falls. Yes, you could see where that sort of fancy could come from. Still, he wasn’t actually the king. “What about the Northwest family? With their riches and mansion, surely they are the rulers of this town?”

Gideon scowled. “The Northwest family members are pebbles beneath my feet! _I_ am king of this town!” He grabbed your hand, making you look at him. “And you are my queen, Mavis!”

You eyed him skeptically, warning bells going off in your head, yet not so loudly as they did with Jeff and the Gnomes. “As long as the Northwest family lives, I cannot accept what you speak as the truth, Gideon.”

He shifted so that he could grab your hand with both of his. “And if they weren’t in the picture? Would you be my queen then?”

With your free hand you brushed a strand of loose hair behind your ear. “Without the Northwest family present, I suppose you have a better claim of being ‘king’. Were they removed and you as the strongest power in town, if you would still have me at that time, then technically, yes, I would be your queen.”

A dark look passed over his face as he muttered. “Then it will be done.”

You tilted your head slightly. “Hmm?”

The look disappeared and he laughed. “Oh, nothin’, darlin’, nothin’!”

He looked down where his hands were holding one of yours. “Mavis, I've never felt this close with anyone. So, so close.”

He looked up and reached out, giggling as he stroked your hair which you had worn loose for the day. You pushed his hand away, not enjoying the breach of your personal bubble. “Gideon, I—“

He reached out again, repeating both the motion and the accompanying giggle. Once again you pushed his hand away, briefly contemplating _shoving him over the edge_ and claiming it was an accident on his part, but deciding not to test your luck in avoiding prison or manslaughter charges.

You continued, “As I was going to say, I do not feel the same way in regards to you.”

Gideon tilted his head slightly, “At least just give me a chance. Mavis, will you do me the honor of going on an official date with me?”

This overweight, white-haired, southern-accented boy did nothing for you. There was no ‘spark’, no ‘skipping heartbeat’, no ‘giddy’ desire to see him again. In fact, all you could do was compare him unfavorably against Dipper. Then again, you unfavorably compared all boys against Dipper.

You tilted your head to look up. “Hmm…”

Gideon didn’t hear an immediate rejection. “It'll just be one li'l ol' date, I swear on my lucky bolo tie.”

“Do not lie to me, Gideon,” you replied, turning your eyes from the sky to him. “If you mean to pursue me, say so. If you truly mean it shall only be a single date, then know that I will not accept any beyond that.”

After a moment of silence, Gideon spoke with fervor. “Mavis Pines, I love you as I have never loved anyone else, not even in those fleetin’ hours where I thought I loved your sister. I think of you hourly and these past two days dragged on with what seemed like a snail’s pace. Being with you here and now is such a joy! I want to spend more time with you and get to know more about you. Will you give me the chance to court you?”

Again, you were unmoved, but again mom’s words echoed. You gave him a single nod. “I will give you a chance.”

Gideon beamed. “I will not fail you!” He giggled again before remembering something. “Oh, right! Mavis, for our first date, I would like to take you to dinner. Do you accept my invitation?”

“I do,” you replied.

*His heart skipped a beat. Someday, she’d say that on the altar while wearing a white dress and a gorgeous diamond ring.

He swore it.*

“Mavis Pines, you have made me the happiest boy in the world!”

You were unprepared to have Gideon suddenly throw his arms around you in an awkward hug. Hearing a sound, you made a face.

“Are you sniffing my hair?”

***

Returning to the Mystery Shack—after being escorted home by Gideon and being photographed against your will—you found Mabel and Dipper playing a video game.

“Hey, Mave,” Mabel greeted, letting go of the controller briefly to wave. She returned her hand to the controller and continued playing even as she proceeded to grill you. “How’d your little date go?”

You leaned against the doorjamb, folding your arms. “It was not a date, Mabel.” You glanced away and muttered, “The actual date is this evening.”

Mabel sat ramrod straight and screeched. “This evening?!”

Explosions came from the television and Dipper’s face fell. “Wha— _how did you_ —?”

Mabel dropped the controller to leapt over to you where she proceeded to grab your shoulders. “Where are you going and what are you going to wear?!”

“I do not know,” you answered. “I will wear what I am wearing now.”

Mabel released you. “Okay, I guess that’s fair. It’s what I’d do, anyway.” She grabbed your hands. “So, what did you make of Gideon? You must like him if you’re willing to go on a date with him.”

You shrugged. “I am merely taking something mom told me to heart. After all, how do I know I do not like something if I do not try it?”

Dipper piped up, “Wait, you’re applying something mom says about food to dating some guy?”

You peered over Mabel’s shoulder at him. “Do you have a reason why not?”

Dipper opened his mouth, but whatever he was going to say was cut off by Mabel. She whirled on Dipper and not so subtly hissed, “Shhhh!”

Your eyebrow rose up but Dipper pursed his lips shut, turned back to the TV and started a solo match on the game system.

Mabel turned back to you. “So, is it a date-date this time?”

You nodded. “Yes. Gideon asked for the chance to court me. I gave him permission.”

Mabel squealed, “ _Court?_ That is so romantic!”

Dipper’s courage came back. “Mabel, think about it. He's gonna fall in love with her, but whether Mavis will return his feelings is rather up in the air.”

You walked past Mabel to nudge Dipper over so you wouldn’t have to walk across his line of sight. He shuffled aside and you sat down.

Then you dropped the bombshell on them.

“He already said he loves me.”

_Thud._

Dipper abandoned his game to dash to Mabel’s side. “Mabel!”

He helped her sit up. She moaned, “Dipper? I had a dream where a boy swept Mavis off her feet and now she doesn’t live with us.”

You sat on your haunches next to her. “You were not asleep long enough to have a dream.”

Mabel pouted, folding her arms as she continued leaning against Dipper. “It totally could have happened in a flash.” She sat up and smiled at you. “Mavis, you got your first love confession! You should totally write that down in your diary. It’s an absolute must!”

“If you say so,” you said, definitely _not jealous, of course not, why would you be?_

Dipper sighed as he watched his game end. “Well, I’m done with the game system. Wanna watch TV?”

And so the three of you, having seen Piedmont Public Access TV, watched Gravity Falls Public Access TV out of morbid curiosity.

***

Gravity Falls Public Access TV fell under the category of ‘How Bad Could It Be?’ now and forever. Not that you watched it all day, the three of you turned it off and went outside after four segments, but still.

Mabel, having deemed you now too sweaty to go out on an official date, made you shower and change. Worse, she made you wear one of your dresses.

“But what if we are not going anywhere that merits a dress?” You thought it was a sensible question, so you asked it while Dipper braided your hair and Mabel retouched your nail polish.

“Silly,” Mabel replied, blowing air on the newly touched up spots to make them dry quicker. “Gideon said he’s going to court you. No sensible boy would say that and _not_ take you to a fancy restaurant right after.”

You frowned doubtfully. “Does Gravity Falls even have a fancy restaurant?”

“You’d be surprised how many,” Dipper answered, sticking pins in your hair to hold your new hairdo in place. “Do you have any hair clips or something?”

Mabel perked up, closing the bottle of Sparkly Surge. “Did you bring any of the ones mom and dad bought for you? I only have headbands and they won’t go well with your hairdo.”

“I brought my jewelry box,” you answered, gesturing vaguely over your shoulder. You waved your hands and Dipper and Mabel descended on your belongings.

“Found it,” Dipper said, voice coming from the floor as he peered under your bed.

Soon Mabel and Dipper were holding up various hairclips, trying to decide which one was best. They had finally decided on one and Mabel was putting it in your hair when the doorbell rang. She burst out of the room and you heard her thundering down the stairs.

“I’ll get it, Grunkle Stan! I’ll get it!”

You stood up and made to grab your satchel.

“You’re not taking that on a date, are you?”

You paused and glanced at Dipper. He had a point, wearing it would throw off your whole image. But…

Dipper smiled. “You can trust us. If you don’t want us to look through your satchel, we won’t.”

Time ticked away as you stared at your brother. _Could_ you trust them? Well, thinking about it… maybe. You tucked it under your pillow before waggling your finger in his face. “ _Do not_ look through my stuff.”

Dipper nodded. He gestured to the door, “Come on, your date is probably waiting.”

Oddly, you found Mabel standing against the closed door, no Gideon in sight. Spotting you coming down the stairs with Dipper, she beamed at you, stepping away from the door. She gestured to it. “He’s on the porch.”

Suspicious now, you grabbed the doorknob and opened the door.

A horse burst through.

You staggered back in surprise as Mabel laughed. Dipper, having given a yelp of surprise, glared half-heartedly at the boy perched in the saddle, but said boy had no eyes for anyone but you.

“A night of enchantment awaits, m'lady!”

You stared. “Oh my.”

***

Getting on and off a horse while wearing a dress was not an experience you would recommend to anyone but those who annoyed you. Still, entering the aquatic themed restaurant while still astride a horse was both interesting and an indication of how much Gideon could get away with.

Sitting at a booth across from Gideon, you commented, “I find it hard to believe they let us bring a horse in here.”

Gideon smirked. “Well, people have a hard time saying no to me.” He put his feet up on the table and you were mildly impressed he could actually do it.

A waiter came by and poured water for both you and Gideon. “Ah, Monsieur Gideon! Ze feet on ze table! An excellent choice!”

Gideon looked away and held up his hand. “Jean Luc, what did we discuss about eye contact?”

The waiter looked away. “Yes, yes, very good!”

He backed away and only returned when Gideon snapped his fingers, ready to place an order. Not having been to this place before, you simply ordered what Gideon was having. Gideon seemed to like to talk, so you just listened for the most part. At one point he mentioned speaking French, and you latched on to that.

*Mavis spoke up, pausing between daintily eating her dinner. “You speak French?”

“Oui, ma chérie,” he replied.

“Will you teach me?”

An excuse to spend more time with his Mavis? Of course!*

“Oui, oui,” he answered positively. “Je serai heureux de vous apprendre la langue de l'amour."

You weren’t sure what that last part was, but he seemed agreeable to teaching you. Smiling blankly, you took another bite of your dinner, and he continued on with his stories and anecdotes.

***

(Dipper was staring at the ceiling, half-listening to Mabel and Soos chatter, when suddenly Grunkle Stan entered the shop in his off work clothes and holding a newspaper.

Stan asked loudly, “Hey, hey! What the jackal is Mavis doing in the paper next to that crazy pickpocket Gideon?”

Wendy spoke up, looking at her phone. “Oh, yeah, it's like a big deal. Everybody's talking about Gideon and Mavis’s big date tonight.”

Stan blew up. “WHAT?! That little shyster is dating my great niece!?”

Soos pondered, “I wonder what the new name will be for the power couple. Gidvis? Magidviseon? Gidmaveonis?” He gasped, inspiration striking him. “Mavideon!”

Mabel snapped her fingers and pointed at him. “Mavideon!”

Stan spun on his heel and left the room. Dipper yelled after him to make sure his great uncle knew he wasn’t at fault for this. He also lied through his teeth. “I didn't know! I didn't hear about it and plus, I told her not to.”

Mabel went the opposite route. “I totally knew! I heard all about and helped her dress up!”

Stan re-entered the shop wearing his suit and stalked right through. “Yeah, well it ends tonight. I'm going right down to that little skunk's house.” He glared at the shop’s occupants. “This is gonna stop RIGHT now!”

He slammed the door shut. Dipper let out a low whistle. He really hoped Stan wouldn’t try directing any of that anger or irritation at Mavis or they’d be seeing some real—yet entirely metaphorical—fireworks.

Soos piped up. “Dude, wouldn't it be funny if that was a closet, and he had to come back out again and go out the real door?” He went over to check. “Nope. Real door.”

Mabel laughed. “Too bad, that _would_ have been funny!”)

***

[Stan gripped the steering wheel as his foot pressed down on the gas. The sooner he got there, the sooner he could put an end to this, this _travesty_ , and get his great niece back from that little fraud Gideon!

_Mavis smiling under the brim of her fishing hat, trying to hide it from him and then denying she was smiling at all._

Gideon wasn’t good enough for either of his great nieces and Stan wasn’t having him near them!

_Mavis struggling with her fishing rod, calling his name in varying tones of worry. Mavis shrieking that they needed a shotgun instead of a net._

Stan swerved the car around a corner and pressed the gas pedal a little more.

 _Mavis blushing after telling her he was proud of her, and he_ was _, just so proud of her._

Something caught his eye and Stan stepped on the brake. Looking over his shoulder, he saw a billboard with Gideon’s stupid face. Growling, he hit reverse and pulled up to Gideon’s house, skidding the car to a halt in his rush.

Stan got out of the car and stalked past the front garden to the front door. He knocked loudly and, he hoped, rudely. “Gideon, you little punk! Open up!” He noticed the sign on the door saying ‘Please Pardon This Garden’. He knocked it down, “I will pardon NOTHING!”

Just then the door opened and Bud Gleeful was in his face. The man scowled for a second before smiling. “Why, Stanford Pines! What a delight!”

Stan shoved an arm past him and peered into the house. “Out of the way Bud, I'm looking for Gideon!”

Bud didn’t seem offended. “Well, I haven't seen the boy around, but since you're here, you simply must come in for coffee!”

Stan tried to protest as Bud pulled him into the house. “But-but I came-“ _to get his great niece and warn her away from Gideon!_

Bud insisted. “It's imported! All the way from Colombia!”

Stan paused. “Wow... I went to jail there once.” Deciding to at least stay for coffee, he took a moment to admire the house and he whistled. “Some digs you got here.” Spotting a clown painting, he went over to observe it from a closer angle. “Oh, this. This is beautiful.”

Bud came over. “Now, I hear that your niece and my Gideon are, well, they're singin' in harmony lately so to speak!”

Stan remembered the reason he was here. “Uh, yeah, and I'm against it.” He knocked a pillow off the couch to demonstrate just how against it he was. “Nyah.”

Bud waved his hand. “No, no, no. I see it as a fantastic business opportunity.” He grabbed Stan’s shoulder and led him further into the house. “Yes, the Mystery Shack and the Tent of Telepathy. We've been at each other's throats for far too-lemme get that. “He ripped down a picture of Stan on a dart board. “We've been at each other's throats for far too long, yes we have. This is our big chance to set aside our rivalry and pool our collective profit, you see.”

Stan leaned on a cash register, making it click as he smiled in sudden interest. He closed the open till and spoke. 

“I'm listening.”

A flash of guilt is assuaged by a montage of memories wherein Mavis went with the flow more often than she went against it.]

***

After waving goodbye to Gideon, who still astride the white horse, you went inside and headed for the stairs to the attic, wanting nothing more than to change your clothes and recharge your depleted social energy. Gideon alone wouldn’t have depleted it, but he had made a show of inviting you on a second date in front of everyone which had gathered a crowd. The cooing and cheering when you said yes was just another depletion of your social energy to endure. Frankly, you are slightly amazed you made it through the whole thing without biting off Gideon’s head.

Lost in your thoughts, you didn’t notice your siblings until they spoke up.

Dipper asked, “So, how did it go?”

Mabel added, “Was it _romantic?_ ”

You turned to them and rubbed the back of your neck. “I have another date on Thursday.”

Dipper blinked. “Tomorrow is Thursday.”

You shrugged. “Then I have another date tomorrow.” You glanced at Mabel. “And I suppose from one point, the date was romantic. There was a white horse, a fancy restaurant, and the promise of another date.”

Mabel hummed thoughtfully. “You know, Mave, no one is forcing you to date Gideon. If you don’t want to, just tell him.”

“If I ever truly do not want to, I certainly will,” you replied, heading for the stairs again.

She sat back, apparently satisfied. “Alright then.”

(Dipper fidgeted. Should he tell Mavis that Stan left the house on the warpath because of her date with Gideon? Mabel caught his eyes and she shook her head.

Okay, so they’d just let the chips land where they fall. Good plan.)

***

Dancing with Gideon had been… strange. As he was shorter than you were, when slow dances came on—which they did with suspicious frequency—he tended to rest his head against your chest. Also, your picture was taken quite more often than you liked, nearly always when you were paired with Gideon, though you would not be surprised if there were shots of you alone. You were glad to see the dance end, though you were surprised when it turned out that was not the end of the date.

No, Bud, apparently playing Gideon’s chauffer, drove the two of you to the lake where Gideon led you down to the dock. There, a boat waited, with Old Man McGucket—you finally learned his name from Dipper—as… a gondolier, you supposed. He was also wearing a water tube around his waist while Gideon donned arm floaters and you were given a life jacket. Boating at night did not seem like a safe activity, but at least Gideon was following some safety measures.

Sitting down in the boat across from Gideon, you watched as the scenery slowly passed.  
Old Man McGucket laughed. “Boat in the night! Boat in the night!”

At one point Gideon took your hands in his, a gesture that made you look at him. No words were said as he continued to gaze into your eyes, slowly but surely making your skin crawl. However, just before you could begin to say anything scathing, a high pitched noise made you bristle, and the following explosion startled you out of your seat.

Somehow, you found yourself kneeling on the bottom of the boat while clinging to Gideon as the sky lit up in fireworks, the name "Mavis" appearing within a heart.

Old Man McGucket spoke. “Well, you can't say no to that.”

One Gideon’s hands rested on your shoulder while the other came to a rest on your head as more fireworks lit the sky in heart shapes. You had never seen fireworks up this close before and you were torn between admiring them and being afraid of the noise they made flying into the air. Your awkward position on the boat bottom while partly twisted to hold on to Gideon while watching the fireworks started to hurt and you moved to disentangle yourself.

Gideon held you where you were and looked down at you with a smile. “Mavis Pines, will you join me tomorrow evening at The Club for dinner?”

Free food and no dishes to wash at the end of it?

“Certainly,” you answered. You twitched your arms which you had continued keeping wrapped around him when he didn’t let you move just earlier. “Can I get up now?”

“Of course,” Gideon replied. He kept hold of one of your hands as you carefully returned to your seat. Once you were seated, he clasped both your hands in his and smiled. “Mavis, tonight has been wonderful, just wonderful. I’m certain tomorrow will be as well.”

“Hmm,” you hummed neutrally. 

Despite the scare with the fireworks, you didn’t feel too strongly about these dates one way or another.

***

The next day, you were relaxing in the TV room when Mabel decided to interrogate you about yesterday’s date with Gideon. She was in ecstasy over your description, and at one point Dipper joined you two.

“Boating at night! _How romantic!_ ”

Dipper, ever practical, put in his two cents. “Isn’t that kind of unsafe? I don’t think Old Man McGucket would be much help in rescuing you two if something had happened.” You heard him mutter under his breath. “Not without a robot monstrosity, anyway…”

Robot monstrosity?

Mabel squealed. “And fireworks that spelled out your _name_? In a _heart_?!”

“I swear it is true,” you said, neglecting to mention the part where you sort of freaked out.

“Great news, Mavis!” Stan entered the TV room wearing a t-shirt that proclaimed ‘Team Gideon’. He grinned at you. “You’re gonna have to marry Gideon.”

Dipper yelped, “What?”

( **hedoesnotwantmehewillnotwantmeIamjusthissisterwhyIamnotallowedtobemoremoremore** )

Mabel shrieked in excitement, “I call Maid of Honor!”

Dipper added, “Grunkle Stan, that’s crazy! She’s _twelve!_ ”

Stan elaborated, “It's all part of my long term deal with Buddy Gleeful. There's a lot of cash tied up in this thing. Plus, I got this shirt.” He gestured to his ‘Team Gideon’ shirt before realizing, “Ugh, I am fat.”

( **IcannothaveDipperwanthimwanthimcannotwhyithurtsIamsicksicksicksick** )

Speaking up, you ticked up fingers as you spoke, “If he will protect, provide, and be faithful to me, I see no reason why not.”

Dipper spun his head to you. “WHAT?”

( **ishejealousIwishhewasjealouswantmepleasewantmeIwantyouIamsickyouwouldhatemepleasedonothateme** )

You added, “Do not worry, Dipper. I cannot actually marry Gideon until we are both at least eighteen years of age. And, even if it were possible to marry earlier than that, I would not. Eighteen is the minimum age I will even consider marriage.”

Stan patted your head, “Good girl, Mavis. This deal is going to make me a lot of money.”

You nodded sagely. “I shall make sure they do not cheat you out of it, Great Uncle Stan.”

Stan laughed. “I’m finally gonna be rich!”

Dipper exploded, “Did you have to sell my sister to get there?!”

Mabel’s eyes widened. “What?”

Stan recoiled. “Kid, I didn’t sell Mavis.”

Dipper spluttered, “Y-you all but did! The Mystery Shack and the Tent of Telepathy are rivals, you said so yourself! For goodness sake, you left the Mystery Shack on the war path to break up Gideon and Mavis!”

Waving his hand, Stan dismissed his concerns. “That was then, kid. This is now, and things have changed.”

Mabel put her hand on Dipper’s shoulder. “Come on, bro-bro. Isn’t it better that they’re not at each other’s necks or something like that?”

Dipper groaned and turned to you. “I appeal to you, Mavis.”

( **ahahahahayouhavenoidea** )

“Do you even want to be with Gideon?”

You thought about it. “Well, I was always going to get married sooner or later, so I do not mind this development.” Dipper’s face fell. You put your hand on his free shoulder. “Do not worry too much, Dipper. There is time enough to Gideon to call it off. Perhaps he will grow tired of me and end things.”

Dipper put his face in his hands. “That’s... not helping, Mavis.”

Stan mumbled, “He better not back out of this deal…”

You turned and asked Stan, “Great Uncle Stan, can you give me a lift to The Club this evening?”

His eyebrow rose. “The Club? Fancy! Sure thing, Mavis. Just let me know when.”

Nodding, you left the room to fetch your violin to pass the time.

***

(Dipper watched as the taillights of the car grew smaller. Sighing in frustration, he trundled over to the TV room and sank down into Stan’s chair. He wasn’t sure where Mabel was, but right now he was grateful as he just wanted to be alone.

_His sisters weren’t supposed to get married off for at least a decade more!_

He thumped the back of his head against the sofa. Of all people, why did Mavis have to go for a fake psychic?

Grumbling under his breath and too caught up in his irritation at how fast his little sister went from someone’s girlfriend to future wife, Dipper didn’t register that fact that in his memories, Mavis hadn’t been excited to be with Gideon at all and was just going along with it because she had no strong feelings either positive or negative as of yet.

Suddenly, Dipper recalled that Mavis had left the house without her satchel.

Frozen, he was immediately assaulted by the strong desire to go find that _book_. After all, Mavis hadn’t told them to _not_ look through her stuff this time, right?

Clinging to that flimsy excuse and ignoring his guilt, Dipper got off the sofa and headed for the attic room.)

***

You arrived at The Club and entered the establishment. Looking around, you soon spotted Gideon sitting in a booth awaiting you. Approaching him, you spoke, “Gideon.”

Gideon set down his menu and smiled. “There you are, m’lady.” Concern passed over his face. “Did you have any trouble getting’ here? I truly don’t mind pickin’ you up every time, you know.”

Letting a waiter help you into your seat, you addressed Gideon. “Great Uncle Stan dropped me off. As for picking me up, I suppose it is fine if you want to do so.”

Gideon nodded. “Then it’s settled. Whenever we date, I’ll pick you up. If I can’t, I’ll arrange something suitable.”

Nodding, you let the date commence. Gideon once again went on a spiel of stories while you nodded and made occasional noises. However, towards the end he wanted to invite you on another date.

“Gideon,” you said, before pausing and sighing. “I do not mind dating you, but I cannot date you every day.”

“Why not? Don’t we have fun?”

“In a sense,” you replied. “However, I cannot keep up with this constant stream of dates. I need time alone.”

Gideon inhaled. “Are you breaking up with me?”

You shook your head. “No.” He eased slightly. You continued, “Gideon, if you want to date me, then you will have to deal with the limitation of dating me on Tuesdays and Fridays. If you cannot, then, well…”

Gideon sighed. “I’d much prefer to date you more often, but if I’m moving too fast and this is your way of slowin’ down to a more comfortable pace, I’m willin’ to do whatever it takes to make you happy.” He beamed, “I’ll just have to make our Tuesday and Friday dates all that much more interestin’.”

…Well, it was that or dates nearly every day, so…

Gideon laughed. “Isn’t tomorrow Friday anyway?”

You blinked. “Oh. That is correct.” You sighed. “Very well.”

Gideon eyed you. Whatever he saw made him relent. “We can move the date to Saturday, if you’d like.”

*The genuinely grateful look on her face melted his heart.*

***

(Dipper could hardly believe that Mavis would keep such a gem to herself. She was selfish! Surely she knew how much this journal would interest him? If what it said was true then Gravity Falls was full of mysterious things to uncover!

_’Trust no one.’_

Did Mavis really take those words to heart? Did she really not trust him or Mabel?

He ignored the part of him pointing out that he was currently violating her trust right now.

Biting his lip, Dipper didn’t notice the door opening until it was too late.

“Dipper!”

He yelped, juggling the book and nearly dropping it before he caught it in a firm grip. Spinning his head, heart in his throat, he saw Mabel scowling at him in disapproval.

“Dipper Pines,” Mabel scolded. “Is that the book Mavis didn’t want to show us?” She stared at him accusingly. “Did you really _look through her stuff_ and read the book she _didn’t want us to read_?” She threw her hands up in the air. “Do you really want her to get mad at you again? Or worse, even me because she’ll find some way to blame me for your snooping too!”

Dipper scowled right back. “Mabel, Mavis has been hiding an important journal from us!” He held it out. “This journal is full of things found around Gravity Falls. A lot of it looks dangerous, yet Mavis hasn’t seen fit to share its warnings with us!”

Mabel shook her head. “Dipper, that’s no excuse for betraying Mavis’s trust like this! Put it back and let’s forget about this, okay?”

Dipper held the journal close. “I can’t just give it back, Mabel. This thing is a mystery and I intend to get to the bottom of it! Like, who wrote this journal and where is the author? Why does the book suddenly stop half way through? Are all these things real and do they pose a danger to us?” He met her eyes. “I have to know, Mabel!”

Mabel looked pained. “Dipper, _it’s not your book._ ”

He flinched and glanced away. “Well, it’s not Mavis’s either.”

“She found it first, Dipper. It’s hers.” Mabel paused, and when she spoke again she sounded absolutely horrified. “You’re not going to _steal_ it, are you, Dipper?”

Dipper’s fingers dug into the book for a moment before he sighed and relented. “No. I’m not.”

As he returned it to Mavis’s satchel, he mentally added:

‘ _But I never said I wouldn’t borrow it._ ’)

***

Upon returning home, you headed to the fridge to grab a soda. Seeing a fresh jug of milk, however, made you change your mind and you poured yourself a glass of that instead. Taking a seat at the table, you were soon joined by Mabel and Dipper, the latter of whom looked slightly peeved for some reason.

“Uh,” Mabel started awkwardly. “How’d it go?”

“It was fine,” you answered, following up with a sip of milk.

Mabel seemed determined to fill the strangely strained silence. “So, you seem to be getting along with Gideon really well. Is he, like, your official boyfriend? I mean, you are going to marry him when you’re both older, right?”

“I suppose he is officially my boyfriend, though I would have to ask to make certain,” you replied. “As for marriage, as I mentioned earlier, he may change his mind.”

(Why would Mavis not share the journal with him? Why was she keeping it to herself? She had no right to keep it away from him! Surely she knew how much it would interest him, so why? _Why?_ )

You were in the middle of taking a gulp of milk when Dipper inexplicably burst, yelling.

“He’s _nine!_ ”

Milk suddenly went down or up every wrong tube, causing you to choke and cough as your eyes watered in pain. It _burned._

Mabel yelped, “Whoa, you’ve got milk coming out of your nose, sis!”

After much coughing and unhelpful smacks on your back from Mabel, you finally managed to choke out, “ _Nine?_ ” You looked up at Dipper with wide, teary eyes. “My boyfriend is _nine years old?_ ”

Dipper looked guilty and couldn’t meet your eyes. “Y-you didn’t know?”

You feebly shook your head, coughing into your hand.

You missed the glare Mabel shot at Dipper and the way he slumped in his seat.

Leaving the table, you headed upstairs to the bathroom to be miserable in peace.

***

[Stan finished signing papers before sitting back and relaxing. “Ah, this is livin', brother.”

He knocked on the clown painting behind him. He’d have to try to get Mavis to get it for him. That Gideon kid was nuts about Mavis, surely he’d give her the painting if she asked for it.

Bud chuckled, “From now on it's all name brand foods and clown paintings.”

Gideon walked into the house and closed the door behind him. Bud spoke to his son. “Well, hey, Gideon! Why, look who I—“

Gideon took one look at him and suddenly the boy was on the coffee table positively _beaming_ at him. Stan leaned back, creeped out.

“Well hello, Mr. Pines,” Gideon greeted cheerfully. “I see you and my daddy have finalized the agreement, yes?”

“Sure have, son,” Bud confirmed.

Gideon nodded his head. “Good, good.” He sighed happily and picked up the contract. “With this, you’re goin’ to make sure that my Mavis agrees to marry me when I turn eighteen. Oh, we’ll have a grand weddin’, fit for the queen she is!”

Stan firmly ignored his guilt. If Mavis wanted to throw up a fuss, she would have done it when he first brought it up, right?

He nodded. “Sure, Gideon.”]

***

(Entry twelve in the diary is a rant. The writer is upset about the gap in years between them and Gideon Gleeful. There are several sentences dedicated to lamenting a lack of observational skills. The writer notes how they were under the impression that Gideon was a short twelve-year-old boy despite the fact that they had no proof of this thought.

There is annoyance about ‘milk up the nose’ after the revelation of his true age.

The diary entry closes with a paragraph dedicated to the writer’s determination to break up with Gideon Gleeful because ‘I am many things, but not a cradle robber’.)

***

Saturday’s date is a movie to be followed by dinner. You do not enjoy the romance movie, but you do not hate it either. Dinner was at the same aquatic themed restaurant as the first date, and you were both in the same booth. Again, as you did the first time, you heard the whispers and felt the stares of the other patrons as they spied on your date.

Poor Gideon was going to have an audience to his being dumped. Oh well.

You decided to break the news to him part-way through the meal and took the opportunity to start between one end of his stories and the beginning of another.

“Gideon.”

*Something in his Mavis’s tone set him on edge. He watched as she pushed her food around the plate.

“I feel greatly uneasy that you are only nine years old, Gideon.”

Gideon waved his hand, smiling. “What is age but a number? A few years between us means nothing to me, my sweet apple pie.”

She shifted uncomfortably. “Gideon…” She nibbled on her bottom lip, and oh she looked lovely.

Well, whatever second-thoughts she was having were certainly not going to get in his way, so if there was a time put his plan into action, it was now. “Mavis, my peach dumplin’, I want you to know that my father and your great-uncle Stanford have signed the merger contract.”

She pursed her lips, no doubt thinking of her great-uncle and how… _detrimental_ backing out now would be. Now, he didn’t want her to think bad of him, so~*

You watched warily as Gideon got out of his seat to come stand next to you. Politely, you shifted in your booth seat so that you could face him.

“Mavis, I want you to accept this.”

He held out a ring box.

( **areyoudefecatingmewhyheisnineIamtwelveWHAT** )

He opened it to reveal a red, heart-shaped gem with a diamond-like gem on either side, all set in a silver band.

“Mavis Pines, will you be my girlfriend and promise to marry me some day?”

( **heisnotDipperheisnotDipperbutDipperdoesnotwantmewillneverwantmewhyIlovehimsomuchalotthemostbuthewillNEVER** )

You stared at Gideon and made your face go through the motions of a smile.

“Yes.”

***

Your siblings were on different ends of the spectrum when it came to breaking the news to them.

Mabel fainted dead away, prompting Dipper to catch her—( **Ishoulddothatmoreoftenplaythedamselsavemegivemeyourattention** )—while Dipper himself was upset.

“You _promised_ to marry him?! Mavis, you’re _twelve!_ He’s _nine!_ ”

You waved your free hand, still admiring the ring on your finger. “Details, details.”

Dipper put one of his hands on his hip while the other kept supporting Mabel. “What about when you’re eighteen and he’s like fifteen or sixteen, Mavis? What then?”

You rolled your eyes and lowered your hand. “Obviously I will have to call a halt to the relationship, Dipper. As a legal adult, I must avoid jailbait if I am to avoid prison.” You gestured to him and Mabel. “After all, I do not want a criminal record as the two of you already do.”

(Dipper grimaced. Well, he trusted Mavis to not snitch on him and Mabel to mom and dad. True, their ‘criminal records’ didn’t state counterfeiting as Grunkle Stan had done some fast talking, but they still had them. He sighed and let the matter drop just as Mabel returned to consciousness.

“OH. MY. GOODNESS.” Mabel leapt at Mavis and dragged her into a hug. “I don’t know what to say, Mave. I just hope you’re happy with him and that things work out.”

Mabel paused before she leaned back to stare Mavis in the eyes. In all seriousness she spoke.

“I still totally call dibs on being the Maid of Honor.”

Mavis laughed, and suddenly Dipper wondered if her and Gideon was such a bad thing after all.)

Later that night as you got ready for bed, you carefully removed the ring from your finger and to return it to its box for safe-keeping. As you did so, you noticed something you hadn’t earlier before Gideon had placed it on your finger. Bringing the ring closer to your face, you saw an inscription on the inside.

_a promise is forever_

Well, time would tell.

It usually did.

**Sometimes people don't understand the promises they're making when they make them.**

**~John Green, The Fault in Our Stars**


	7. Dreaming Nightmares

_You are dreaming._

This thought flits across your mind as you glance up at a night sky with several colorful moons, unable to stare and make out details despite how much you want to. The street of your home in Piedmont is familiar, yet different, wider and with multi-colored trees lining each side. You are walking, going up to the door of the house, and the house is the same as it was when you left it in the real world. Dad’s car is in the driveway, but when you enter the house, you instantly know that no one else is home.

You climb the stairs and head to the room you share with Dipper and Mabel, and the proportions of the room are wrong, your bunkbed is too massive, but you sink down into your familiar bed anyway, letting your head rest upon the pillows there. You close your eyes and fall asleep.

_‘Dreaming of dreaming, Kitchen Knife?’_

Your eyes snap open and for a long moment you are confused. Weren’t you just in bed at home? So why are you in this unfamiliar room?

Reality reasserts itself as the dim light of early dawn seeps into the attic. You had a dream, you know that much, but the details have slipped away.

You vaguely remember a voice speaking, but you don’t remember the sound or what it said. Something about… geh. Putting your arm over your eyes, you try vainly to go back to sleep. You haven’t been sleeping well, and you blame the nightmares for that. You grumble and try to clear your mind, but nothing works.

It’s only when Mabel starts stirring that you resign yourself to the start of the day.

***

(Dipper is determined to see that journal again, but despite his earlier thoughts of ‘borrowing’ it, he truly wants his little sister to willingly share it with him. The best chance of that happening is to spend more time with her, but he has to be careful he doesn’t push her introverted buttons, so to speak. Still, nothing ventured, nothing gained.

“Mavis, would it be alright if I, I don’t know, hang out with you today?”

His little sister blinked at him from across the table where she was slowly eating her breakfast. She looked mildly surprised and also… pleased? His guess is confirmed when she nods back at him.

“I would like that.”

Mabel cut in, waving her arm. “Me too! I want in!”

Mavis clicked her tongue. “My days in the woods are not very interesting, you know.”

Dipper chuckled. “Well, maybe we’ll come across something interesting.”

Mabel pitched in, “We could find adventure!”

His elder sister chatters on brightly, not noticing the slight slump of their little sister’s figure. Dipper nibbled on his lip. Mabel commands a lot of energy, both from herself and from those who get caught up in her whirlwind of action. Mavis, on the other hand, is more sedate and withdrawn. Their personalities don’t often mix well, though Mavis will usually make an effort to keep up. A thought suddenly hit him as he recalled Mavis yelling at them in the forest, of how Mabel thought their little sister was glaring at her.

Did Mavis… not _like_ Mabel?)

***

Somehow you’ve found yourself out in the woods with your elder siblings in tow. Mabel is carting around a basket of food, claiming the three of you will have a picnic lunch, but you know in your heart of hearts that there’s very little in it that you’ll actually partake—Mabel Juice is a health hazard and nothing will convince you otherwise.

“So, is this what you usually do?”

You look back at Dipper and glance at Mabel behind him as she greets a woodland creature in a bright and chipper voice. You turn your eyes back to him.

“Yes, though unless I am playing my violin, it is usually much quieter.”

Facing forward again, you miss the wince that crosses his face.

***

=Today has been just great so far! Mavis let her and Dipper follow her out into the woods and this walk has just been lovely. There’s been a whole mess of woodland creatures and birds to greet, lots of interesting shaped rocks and even a few funny-looking trees. It’s like she’s never really seen the forest before. She has, definitely, but seeing it again with Dipper and Mavis is like seeing it for the first time!

Mabel laughs and dashes to close the small distance between her and her little siblings. Mavis is leading the way, though she warned them she wasn’t really going anywhere. Silly! She was obviously going in that direction over there.

“Mavis, don’t you ever worry you’ll get lost? I mean, we’ve wandered kind of far from the Mystery Shack.”

Throwing an arm around his shoulder, Mabel laughs. “Don’t be such a worrywart, bro-bro. Mavis won’t get lost. Besides, Gravity Falls is surrounded by cliffs, right? She just has to follow along one side and she’ll eventually find her way back to either town or the Mystery Shack.”

Dipper audibly sighed, clearly realizing the fact of her genius observation. Mavis nodded her head, still walking. 

Skipping over to walk next to her little sister, Mabel grinned and asked, “So, are you gonna tell mom and dad you’re basically engaged?”=

Nearly tripping, you regain your footing with Mabel’s help, even as she giggles at your reaction. Dipper comes up to your side as well, but instead of being helpful, he just waggles his eyebrows at you and asks, “Well, are you going to?”

Blushing and frowning, you pull your arm from Mabel’s grasp. “No. After all, Gideon could change his mind at a later date.” You huff and tug at the hem of your clothing to straighten half-imagined wrinkles. “The last thing I need is mom and dad breathing down my neck about my new boyfriend-slash-fiancé, so the two of you better not snitch on me.”

Mabel nudged you with her elbow, grinning. “Relax. We won’t tell. We can totally keep a secret.”

You stared at her. “…Somehow, it is not reassuring when you say it like that.”

Dipper chuckled. “I have to agree with Mavis. That did sound kind of suspicious, Mabel.”

Mabel pouted. “I totally won’t tell mom and dad!”

You eyed her. “And no one else, Mabel.”

She swung her basket. “Aw, come on, Mavis! Like, half the town already knows anyway!”

You grimaced, remembering the newspaper edition that printed the picture of Gideon giving you the ring you were currently wearing. Not to mention that full-color magazine featuring you and Gideon that somehow popped into existence overnight… “Fine. Gossip all you want, just do not let mom and dad know.”

Mabel pumped a fist. “All right!”

Coming into a clearing, you decided to come to a stop. Your two elder siblings took a moment to look around.

Dipper asked, “Is this place special?”

Setting down your violin case, you shook your head. “No. I already informed you that my days are spent walking and practicing in random places.”

Mabel set down her basket. “This place is great! Look at these flowers!”

Indeed, there were flowers in the clearing. Walking over to Mabel, you sat on your haunches next to her and peered down at the flowers she was gushing over. 

“These are so pretty. I’m going to take one and press it in my scrapbook.” Mabel picked one and smiled at you. “Mavis, you should too! It’ll be a memento of our day together!”

That… didn’t sound too bad, actually. Reaching down, you brushed your fingers over several before deciding on one and snapping its stem. Although picking flowers has always seemed both pointless and cruel to you, picking a single one a souvenir doesn’t make you wince or cringe. Mabel only picked the single one too, so two out of a bunch was not enough to make you feel bad.

A small part of you scoffs at the fact that you sympathize more with flowers than the cats and Gnome you’ve killed and the possibly sentient wax heads you’ve left trapped in darkness, but that small part of you is easily ignored.

Dropping the flower into your satchel, you take out your violin from its case and take up your starting position so that only your right side is visible to your siblings. You began playing ‘Concerto No. 2, 3rd Movement’ by Friedrich Seitz.

(Mavis has poured so much of her time into her violin and it shows in the way the music flows out from her instrument. Sitting quietly next to Mabel, who’s leaning forward and listening with a smile, Dipper stares at his younger sister and marvels at her skill.

When the music drops off, Mabel burst into cheers and clapped and he joined her in clapping. Their little sister nodded at them.

“I am going to practice. The two of you need not stay there the whole time. Explore the surroundings, do whatever you please, just do not speak to me.”

She begins another piece before either of them can say anything, but her words don’t sting like they did the first few times she said something similar. It took a while before both he and Mabel stopped taking that both personally and as a challenge. Taking Mavis’s advice, Dipper stretched out on the ground to look up at the clouds as the sound of music drifted over the area.

Catching movement from the corner of his eye, Dipper glanced at Mabel to see her picking more flowers as she weaved them into what looked like the start of a crown. Turning his attention back to the clouds, Dipper silently picked out shapes.)

***

You aren’t sure how much time passed, but you have gone through several music pieces now. They were all old ones you had practiced faithfully and thus ones you could play from memory. However, your fingers itched to learn a new piece, but you hadn’t brought any of the new music sheets your teacher had given you. It annoyed you that this summer break in Gravity Falls was interrupting your violin lessons, but again, you’d rather be here with Mabel and Dipper than by yourself back in Piedmont, even with new music pieces to learn.

Sighing, you lowered your arms to take a break.

“Mavis!”

You blinked as Mabel popped up in front of you. She beamed and pulled something out from behind her back. “Ta-dah! For you!”

Oh.

She made you… a _flower crown._

=Mavis forced a smile onto her face, a fake expression made all the more obvious by the fact that when she actually truly does smile she looks _happy_ , and right now her little sister looks anything but. “Thank you, Mabel.”

Mabel lowered her arms and felt her smile dim. “What? What did I do this time?”

And isn’t that how it always is? She seems to always be messing things up and making Mavis mad, and even when she wants to do something for her little sister, so often it goes wrong like now and why can’t she just go a whole day without screwing things up with Mavis?

Her little sister lowered her gaze. “Mabel… have I ever told you that I feel sorry for flowers?”

Blinking, Mabel thought back, trying to recall such a memory. Finally, she shook her head. “No, I don’t think so.”

Mavis sighed and stared down at the flower crown still in Mabel’s hands. “Flowers are pretty things, but so many of them are helpless. They are alive, but they are picked at the prime of those lives, cut off from what they need to live so that we can have bouquets and other things. They wither and die at our whims. I just…” She glanced away. “I feel sorry for them. It is silly, I know—“

“It’s not silly!” Since Mavis’s hands were occupied with her violin and bow, Mabel placed a hand on her sister’s shoulder. “It’s completely okay to feel sorry for flowers, sis! If that’s how you feel, then that’s how you feel!” Smiling at her, Mabel promised, “After today, I won’t bring you real flowers.”=

“A single flower or two is fine,” you said. “It is when they are cut in great numbers that that I feel bad for them.”

“Like this,” Mabel winced, holding up the flower crown.

Seeing the look on her face, you leaned forward and confessed, “I feel sorry for flowers, but I must admit that I have always wanted to wear a flower crown at least once in my life.”

Mabel brightened and placed the flower crown on your head. “Ta-dah! Life-long wish fulfilled!”

“That looks good,” Dipper commented, joining the two of you at last. He smiled. “You look great, Mavis.”

Fighting down a pleased blush as Mabel filled in Dipper about your newly discovered feelings about flowers, you decided to walk off a little ways and started practicing again.

(With a crown of flowers on her head, music coming to life from the instrument in her hands and a forest setting around her, Mavis looks like a painting come to life. Mabel obviously feels something similar because she silently squeals and pulls out a camera, taking a picture of their little sister as she is in this moment.

Dipper makes a mental note to not bring more than a single flower to Mavis at a time, if the need ever arises. He counts it as a good thing that he and Mabel found out now while Mavis was in a talking mood, rather than later when she might have silently held it against them.

Sighing contentedly, he decides to not tempt fate and will put the issue of the journal aside for the day, because despite his earlier misgivings, today has been… _nice_ so far. It feels like it’s been ages since the three of them spent such an enjoyable day together. He hopes it lasts, because right here, right now…

It feels just like it used to be, how it _should_ be, between the three of them.)

***

(Entry eighteen in the diary details a day spent with two elder siblings. There is an abridged record of a conversation on flowers, and well as slight indignation that a picture was taken without the writer’s permission, followed by a grudging admission that the picture was ‘good’. There is mention that a copy was requested by the writer.

Two flowers are pressed between the pages of the diary. One is described as a memento of the day, and the other is a memento from the first flower crown worn by the writer.

There is no code in the eighteenth entry.)

_The three of us returned to the Mystery Shack near twilight. I was laughing with them as we ran in, and I think that may have shocked Great Uncle Stan because the annoyed look on his face slipped right into surprise as he saw us. He has made me smile before, but he never did succeed in making me laugh on the Family Fun Day, so perhaps he was surprised to see me so happy._

_I admit I cannot recall the last time I felt so at ease with my brother and sister._

_…I feel somewhat ashamed of that last line._

_Thinking about it, if it were not for me, what sort of sibling relationship would Mabel and Dipper? I imagine they would be a lot happier if they did not have to tip-toe around me._

_I cannot help what I am._

_I cannot help what I feel._

_I hold so much back, but the bad that escapes me taints the relationships around me anyway._

_…Today was such a good day, yet now it ends on a sour note._

_Regretfully,_

_Mavis_

***

Zombies have come to Piedmont and they are at the door, pounding and moaning to get in. Dipper and Mabel have managed to lock the doors and somehow nailed boards to the doors and windows, and now the three of you are hiding upstairs, furniture pushed against the master bedroom door.

You know how this ends.

They won’t go away, not until the last of you draws breath. You don’t want to die. 

You don’t want _them_ to die. Not Mabel, usually so bright and cheerful, now terrified and trying not to cry. Not Dipper, your dear brother, your hero, the only hope you have and the only reason the three of you are still alive, the only one who moved fast enough to keep the house even marginally secure against the horde outside. You want them to be safe, to survive this nightmare, but the chances of that are so _slim_.

You flinch as a crash comes from downstairs, one of the entryways giving way to the crush of undead bodies. The moaning gets louder and with dread you can hear them thumping up the stairs.

“We’ll be okay,” Dipper chokes, pressing himself against the dresser which is itself against the door. You all scream when banging starts on the bedroom door, and tears fill Dipper’s eyes as he repeats, “We’ll be okay.”

He’s lying, and he knows he’s lying, but he’s trying to be brave.

“Girls, go hide in the closet.”

“Dipper—“

“GO!”

Crying openly, Mabel grabs your hand and drags you into the closet. It’s a feeble hiding place and neither of you are dumb enough to believe that it will keep you safe, but you go anyway because Dipper is yelling and crying and you don’t know what else to do.

You have only been huddling in the closet for a few moments before a crash comes from the bedroom and Dipper is screaming only this time it’s worse because he’s screaming _in pain_.

Instantly, you both burst out of the closet to rush to him, but you only get a partial glimpse of your brother on the floor, surrounded by zombies— _they’re eating him_ , oh god, they’re **eating Dipper** —and the horde notices the living flesh and they lurch towards you both.

Yet neither of you stopped moving, and you dodge between the undead and leap just far enough to grab Dipper’s bloody hands in each of yours, wide, terrified eyes staring at his agonized face and his own wide horrified eyes staring back.

**And then the teeth sink in—**

You jerk awake, sweating as your heart races in your chest. Your limbs flail and for an awful moment you’re absolutely _certain_ that you’re about to be eaten alive.

When the pain doesn’t come, you lie in bed breathing hard as your chest rises and falls at a rapid pace.

_Fucking zombie nightmares._

You shiver violently and wrap your blanket around you as you curl up and try to forget the terror inflicted on you by your own mind.

Why won’t the nightmares stop?

***

You manage to get through the day, and while you do return to the forest, you don’t have the energy to go very far. Your music suffers slightly, and your frustration grows with every unintentional screech or off-tune note, but you persevere as the only reasons you’ll accept for not practicing are travel, sickness and death.

You don’t spend the whole day outside, and return to the Mystery Shack to hide out in the attic. You go through Journal 3 while sitting next to the stained glass window with the triangle with the one eye (a curious addition to a triangle, one you’re not sure whether you like or not).

After dinner, chores and brushing your teeth, the three of you sit around in your attic room. Dipper read one of his mystery novels while Mabel regaled you with something that happened to them earlier that day. It sounds like it’s made up, but whether it is or not, you record parts of it in your diary as Mabel went on and on. You half-listened to Mabel as recounted the tale of her and Dipper’s encounter with ghosts while hanging out with Wendy and her other teenage friends. As you big sister warned you away from Smile Dip, your brother peered over at you from his bed, lowering his book to look at you.

“You don’t seem inclined to disbelieve us, Mavis.”

“Hm?” You glanced up from your diary where you were recording parts of Mabel’s story. “Oh, well, there are lots of unexplained things in the world, Dipper. Who am I to say ghosts do not exist?” You recalled the Gnomes. “My not believing would not negate the existence of a thing.”

“Unless it’s a fairy,” Mabel chipped in. She nodded sagely. “Not believing in fairies makes them die.” Her eyes opened in a panic. “Mavis! Quick! Believe in fairies!”

“I believe in fairies,” you deadpanned. Your unenthusiastic reply was enough for Mabel, and she picked up her story again, concluding that Dipper saved the day by not being an actual teenager and doing the Lamby Dance.

You looked up at that, dismayed. “I missed out on Dipper doing the Lamby Dance? I have not seen him do that since we were younger.”

Dipper huffed, blushing as he crossed his arms. “I did it to save our lives! Nothing else could possibly get me to do that again!”

You eyed him. “Not even if it was my dying request?”

He sputtered. “W-well, of course I would then!” He ran a hand through his hair. “But you’re not dying, so the answer is no.”

Mabel giggled. “Anyway, yeah, that’s what we did today. What about you, Mave?”

“Nothing special,” you replied, penning the summarized end of Mabel’s story. “Mind you, I will be avoiding this abandoned convenience store with its ghosts and Smile Dip.”

“As long as you’re not a teenager, the ghosts aren’t so bad,” Dipper said. “Although staying away from the Smile Dip is probably a good idea.”

Mabel shivered. “Run away from the Smile Dip. It’s _evil._ ”

***

The sudden spasm of your body jerks you awake, and for a moment you honestly believe that you are falling ( _why was there a cliff behind you and what was the thing that jumped out at you from the bushes?_ ). Thankfully, the moment passes and you realize that you are safe in your bed and that Dipper and Mabel are nearby. Heart racing in your chest, you pull in your blanket and tuck it around you, forming a cocoon. Exhaling shakily, you close your eyes and try to fall back asleep.

When you wake up again, it’s to the sound of Mabel cheerfully greeting a new day, and you feel as though you only closed your eyes for a second. 

“Good morning ceiling! Good morning sunlight coming through the window! Dipper! Mavis! It’s another day!”

You don’t feel like you’ve slept, so your sister’s cheerful voice only grates on your nerves. Grumbling, your roll over and pull the blanket over your head.

When Mabel tries to tug your blanket away, you only hold on to it tighter.

“Come on, sleepy head. Let’s go find out what breakfast is!”

You ignore her and curl up, still wrapped up in your blanket. The tugs stop after a few more, replaced by a hand on your shoulder.

“Are you okay Mavis?”

The concern in her voice penetrates your irritation and you sigh in defeat. Rolling over to face her direction, you peek out from beneath the blanket to stare at her balefully in silence. However, as this is your perky, indomitable sister who has much experience being on the end of your dark looks, she brushes your morning hostility off and asks again.

“Are you okay?”

You turn your eyes to your mattress and mutter, “Nightmare. I have not slept well.”

Your sister cooed, “Aww, Mavis.” Kneeling down so her eyes are level with yours, she leaned close and patted your hair. “The next time you get a nightmare, totally feel free to come sleep with me.” She grinned. “For sure you’ll sleep better next to me! I won’t snore in your ear like Dipper.”

“I do not snore!”

You snort softly in amusement at your brother’s indignant yell while Mabel giggled. The sound of footsteps approaches your bed and soon Dipper is kneeling next to your bed as well.

“You don’t look like you’ve been sleeping well.”

You narrow your eyes slightly in offense.

He backpedaled, “I mean, have you been having nightmares a lot lately? I’ve noticed that you seem tired instead of bored or uninterested like usual.”

Mabel hummed, “Hmm, Dipper’s right. You’ve seemed more like you have no energy rather than saving your energy.” She stuck a finger in her ear. “Plus, you played your violin worse than usual yesterday.”

Yes, there was a lot more screeching during your practice yesterday. Sighing again, you confess. “Yes, I have been having bad dreams lately. They wake me up and usually I cannot fall back asleep.”

“So you end up sleep-deprived,” Dipper murmured, hand under his chin. “Maybe you’re eating weird things that give you nightmares?”

You huffed softly, “Maybe? I do eat when I go out with Gideon, but most of it is fairly normal food.”

“Well, you can’t exclude food from a date easily,” Mabel said.

Sidetracked, Dipper made a face. “What?”

Mabel counted on her fingers, “Dinner happens on most dates, plus there’s lunch dates, brunch dates, breakfast dates, snacks on dates to malls or carnivals, drinks and snacks on coffee dates, popcorn at movie dates—“

Dipper held up a hand, “Never mind, I get it.” He looked back at you and brushed his fingers into your hair. “Take Mabel’s advice and come sleep with one of us the next time you have a nightmare.” He grinned. “I promise I don’t snore.”

“…Much,” you corrected innocently, betraying him.

“Mavis!”

Mabel laughed and poked Dipper. “I knew it!”

***

(Dipper is worried about Mavis. He and Mabel only learned this morning that their little sister has been having nightmares and they’re not sure how long it’s been going on. Just today Mavis missed the entryway to the TV room and walked into the wall instead. Both Grunkle Stan and Mabel laughed at her, and she didn’t even glare at them. She just rubbed her forehead and went to the kitchen where she got a soda. She then poured it into a cup and nursed it like it was coffee.

It’s a Friday, so Gideon came to fetch her for a date, so she’s out of the Mystery Shack now.

“What’s with the look on your face?”

Looking up from his broom, Dipper saw that Wendy was looking at him, leaning forward on her arms as she clarified, “You’ve had this pinched look on your face all day, man. What’s the deal? Are you worried Ma and Pa will come haunt you or something?”

Sighing, Dipper stopped pretending to sweep. “That’s not it. It’s Mavis. I just found out she’s been having nightmares and I’m worried she’s sleep-deprived. Maybe I should have stopped her from going out with Gideon today and made her take a nap.”

Wendy grinned. “She’s not four, Dip.”

“I know, but a nap would probably do her a world of good.” He flailed his arms, bursting, “She walked into wall, Wendy! A _wall!_ ” He glanced to the side. “Well, technically it was a doorway, but still!”

Wendy stared at him in surprise before smiling. “You’re a good brother, Dipper. Not many would worry about how much sleep their sister is getting.”

Blushing, he glanced away. “N-Nah.” He winced, thinking of his betrayal, of looking at her journal and nearly giving into the temptation of stealing it. “I’m… not a good brother.”)

***

You’re not being a good date right now. You know this, but you just don’t have the energy to lift your head up from your arms on this table.

“Have you been sleeping well, hon?”

Sluggishly, without looking up at Gideon, you rub your head against your arms in a negative motion. “I have been suffering a plague of bad dreams. I cannot sleep well.” You forced yourself to sit up and you got as far as leaning on your elbow with your head in your hand. “I am less pleasant when less rested. My apologies, Gideon.”

The boy honestly looks concerned as he leans forward. “Is there anything I can do?”

Blearily, you glance around the new location Gideon has brought you to. Normally you would at least feign interest in your surroundings and whatever he was spewing that day, but today you barely have the energy to function. You turned your eyes back to your date.

“I want to sleep.”

And that’s how in less than twenty minutes you found yourself in Gideon Gleeful’s bedroom.

Too tired to give a damn, you curled up on the offered bed and closed your eyes.

***

*Mavis looks so peaceful sleeping on his bed, with her beautiful hair sprawled behind her head and eyelashes fluttering as she dreams. Her soft breathing is a choir he could listen to forever.

He’s been eyeing her hand for a while now, and he finally takes the risk, sliding his hand onto her open palm. Her fingers twitch, but she does not wake. The warmth of her hand is as it always is, but somehow, holding her hand while sleeps makes it even more special.

A sigh escapes her lips, and her head burrows into his pillow a little more, but she keeps sleeping, catching up on the rest so she desperately needs.

Admittedly, he had been more than a little disappointed that she needed rest more than she wanted to fully enjoy their date, but seeing her here was worth it in the end. Someday he would share the same bed. Someday she would always be within his reach like this. 

“Mmm…”

Gideon smiled as her eyes blinked open to see him there at her bedside holding her hand in his own.

“Good afternoon, darling.”

She huffs a soft breath. “Good afternoon, Gideon.”

She… is his _angel._ *

***

Waking up to find Gideon creepily smiling at you and realizing that he had been watching you sleep was… slightly disconcerting. Not enough to make you run for the hills, because one, he was just a kid, two, he was just one kid, and three, he was not one of a thousand Gnomes.

“You have a very high ceiling,” you observe, still lying down on his bed as you reluctantly stretch your free limbs.

“Yes, I have the tower as my own bedroom,” Gideon replied, not even glancing up. “Did you sleep well, my marshmalla?”

“Yes,” you reply, turning your head back in his direction. You squeezed his hand. “I apologize for not being a good date today.”

“Think nothing of it,” he said. He smiled. “After all, it seems to have done you a world of good.”

“I feel better,” you admitted. You sat up, letting go of his hand as you reached up to straighten your hair.

“Allow me,” Gideon insisted. He patted the edge of the bed. “Sit here while I get my brush. I’ll have any knots straightened out faster than you can say ‘Texas’.”

As you complied and he went off to a nearby mirror and dresser combination, you were sorely tempted to say ‘Texas’. Resisting the temptation, you instead sat on the edge of the bed with one leg tucked under your knee so you could sit more or less comfortably sideways. Gideon soon returned and began working a brush through your hair. Any knot he met was not yanked out, but instead gently untangled, and you feel under the spell of being groomed.

“Did you have any dreams?”

“If I did, they have slipped away,” you murmured.

“That’s the nature of dreams, I suppose,” he conceded, carefully working the brush through your hair.

He continued asking idle questions and you answered them as well as you could. When your hair finally passed his careful inspection, Gideon opened the curtains to reveal that the sun was beginning to set. Normally by this time you would be either on your way back to the Mystery Shack or already there. Dipper would glance at you upon your arrival, and a tenseness you weren’t sure he even noticed would drain from his shoulders. However, since this was a day you had a date with Gideon, it would not be unusual to return after dark.

A knock comes at the door and it opens. Bud Gleeful poked his head into the room. “Son, dinner time.”

“We’ll be right there, daddy,” Gideon replied, still standing near a window.

Bud nodded and closed the door. That’s when you noticed something… weird.

Getting up from Gideon’s bed, you went over to the door and saw that, yes, those were indeed pictures of _you_. Sure Mabel and Dipper were in some, but most of them were shots of you around town, or paparazzi pictures of you and Gideon on your dates. Tilting your head and ignoring Gideon’s sudden nervous spluttering, you stared hard at the collage of pictures before you.

On the creepy scale of one to ten, this would probably rank a solid eight with Mabel, and a firm nine-point-five if not an outright ten with Dipper, but it only rated a four with you.

“Mabel took a nice picture of me recently,” you said mildly, cutting off Gideon’s excuses. You turned to look at him. “I will make you a copy.”

His face lit up in a smile, clearly utterly relieved you weren’t mad. “I’d like that, darling. I would indeed.”

***

*After dinner with his family, his sweet Mavis started helping his mother with the dishes. No matter how much he tried to insist that she didn’t need to, Mavis went ahead and continued helping his mother anyway. Now, while it was absolutely dear that she wanted to help out around his house, Gideon was slightly upset that his darling was doing something as plebian as _dishes_. Sitting in the living room with his father after the old man insisted that they get out of the way of the womenfolk, he sat on one of the couches silently fuming.

“Now son,” Bud started, “I can see you’re upset with Mavis offering to help ‘round the house a little, but when you marry her, she’s going to be in charge of your household chores. This is just practice for that time.”

Gideon thought of his sweet peach dumpling slaving away fruitlessly at household chores.

_No._

He wouldn’t do that to his lovely angel.

“Not my Mavis,” he promised, gritting his teeth at the thought of his musical beauty getting dishwater hands. He crossed his arms. “I’m gonna be rich, daddy, rich enough that my Mavis won’t have to slave away like most women do. She won’t have to do anything except look pretty and watch over our babies. As sure as the sun rises, that’s how my future with Mavis is gonna be.”*

***

^ _Hahaha, oops, dropped the ball there. **Gotta start over.**_ ^

***

(The nineteenth entry in the diary details a series of nightmares and the lack of sleep that resulted. The writer then details a date with Gideon and the events leading up to the return to the Mystery Shack.

There is also a short paragraph of code, that if deciphered would reveal that the writer is amused that while they can technically claim they have shared the bed of a boy, it is not something they will share, especially not their siblings.)

_I hope my nightmares cease. If there were a way to stop these nightmares, depending upon the circumstances, I might actually take that course of action. I do dislike giving absolutes. After all, I doubt I would truly want to ‘die’ for a chance to ‘insert experience/object’. Be leery of what you speak and write, for you know not what ears or eyes may hear or see._

_…If you are not I and you are reading this now… fervently hope I never catch or discover your violation of my words._

_FERVENTLY HOPE._

_Menacingly,_

_Mavis_

_P.S. Mabel says Dipper failed a ‘manly test’ today. If she is referring to a strength tester, then of course he failed. However, no machine can measure the other qualities that make a man, and Dipper has those in spades. After all, so often it is not a ‘man’ running to my aid, but Dipper. He may not be The Man, all broad shouldered and muscles for days, but he is kind, caring, brave and clever. As far as I am concerned, Dipper is The Best._

_P.P.S. There was a lot of hair in the bathroom when we went to brush our teeth. I did not ask, no one offered, and I am so glad I keep my toothbrush in a travel case in the attic._

**It's because the door hasn't been closed yet that the nightmares still find their way in.**

**~Joyce Rachelle**


	8. Future Glimpse

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I no own. You no sue.
> 
> Writer's block, so I threw in a glimpse of the future. It sort of worked, and now you have an update. :D

_(The Pines Triplets were going to be sixteen years old this summer. However, first the three of them had to pass their fifteenth summer. This would be the fourth summer spent at Gravity Falls with Grunkle Stan at the Mystery Shack, and Mabel was looking forward to seeing her friends again. Normally Dipper would be looking forward to it as well, but Wendy wasn’t going to be working at the Mystery Shack this summer._

_Mom adjusted his Pine Tree hat. “Be safe, kids.”_

_Mavis gave mom and dad a brief hug goodbye before boarding the bus and taking a random aisle seat near the middle. Sitting in the aisle seat gave the message to her elder siblings that she didn’t want them sitting next to her. Dipper held back a sigh and took the window seat across from her, and Mabel sat beside him, between him and Mavis, playing the buffer between her younger siblings and their strained relationship._

_The years had done nothing to dilute Mavis’ silent rage towards him._

_He didn’t blame her. He couldn’t._

_Not for what he did to her the summer they were twelve.)_

__

***

You were going to be trapped with your elder siblings for the next several hours, so you would be civil if Mason spoke to you. As cold and distant as usual, but civil, if only to avoid Mabel trying to jump down your throat again about mending your bridges with Mason.

Thankfully, Mabel didn’t try too hard to force you to converse with your shared brother.

Pulling out your smartphone—a gift from Gideon that came in the mail last Christmas—you sent him a text telling Gideon you were on your way back to Gravity Falls. His speed in replying back was impressive, given that many of the other girls from your high school often complained about how long it would take some guys to reply back. Gideon rarely kept you waiting for anything, so you wouldn’t know.

Gideon messaged that he’d be waiting for you at the station. You send him a reply that you still had to go with Grunkle Stan first. He replied that he understood, but he wasn’t going to wait to see you again any longer than he had to. He’d bring you flowers if he didn’t already know you hated getting real flowers in great numbers.

[Gideon: a single rose isn’t enough my love]

[Me: a single rose shows you care about my feelings and demonstrates your affection]

[Gideon: the gardens and all the flowers within are yours now]

Your eyes widened slightly. The Gleeful Manor had _lovely_ gardens full of roses and all manner of flowers.

[Me: that…actually makes me happy… as long as I do not have to care for them]

[Gideon: I would never make you work]

[Gideon: they are yours, love]

[Me: I look forward to walking through the gardens to observe my new present]

[Gideon: a date the afternoon you arrive?]

[Me: the day after, as I wish to spend time with Grunkle Stan and near the Mystery Shack]

[Gideon: I shall steal you shortly before the lunch hour and you are mine for the day]

[Me: agreed. until then.]

He sent you several heart emoji.

“Texting with Gideon?”

You glanced over at Mabel and saw a sly smile on her face. You rolled your eyes. “Yes, Mabel. Who else?”

Your elder sister leaned over and stared at your save screen which was a picture of you and Gideon near the lake. It was a picture from last year, shortly after his twelfth birthday. After a moment the screen went dark and Mabel met your eyes.

“Do you ever feel weird dating twelve-year-old?”

You snorted softly. “It is an improvement over dating an eleven-year-old.”

Mabel giggled brightly. “Yeah, you got me there.” Settling back in her seat, she pulled out her cellphone and pouted. “It’s taking forever to save up for a smartphone. You’re so lucky Gideon bought one for you.”

“Hardly,” you replied, continuing to ignore the existence of Mason. “His buying me this phone is the equivalent of him buying me a leash. It is a means to keep tabs on me even when we are apart.”

“Don’t think of it like that,” Mabel said, typing out a message. “Whatshisname, that Duke guy, he bought Grenda a smartphone so they could keep in touch.” Her head snapped up. “Oh my gosh! Grenda’s relationship is almost as old as yours is!” She grinned down at her cellphone. “I hope you’re both happy for years to come!”

“You do know that I am going to have to break it off for at least two years with Gideon, right?”

Mabel sent her message and lowered her cellphone to look at you. “Yeah, but that’s not until two years from now, right?”

“True,” you said. “Our eighteenth birthday is not here yet…”

“Aah, it’s coming up so fast,” Mabel sighed. She smiled. “It seems like only yesterday we were twelve years old and at Gravity Falls for the first time!”

“We will be back to sharing a room,” you muttered darkly.

“It’s not that bad,” Mabel chirped. She turned to her other side. “Right, bro-bro?”

“Huh?” Your eye twitched at the sound of _that voice_. “Uh, sure, Mabel.”

“I can’t wait to see Grunkle Stan again! Oh, and Soos, and Candy and Grenda and everybody!”

“I am sure they are also looking forward to seeing you again,” you reassured her unnecessarily. You activated your smartphone again and put in your headphones. “Now excuse me while I retreat from the present.”

“Have fun!”

You turned on your favorite playlist and closed your eyes. Across the aisle, Mason “Dipper” Pines was also slipping into dreamland.

Unbidden, that twelfth summer came back to you both in fragmented dreams.

***

You awoke in the middle of the night with your heart racing in your chest as the last dregs of a nightmare slipped through your conscious grasp. You don’t remember the dream— _nightmare_ —but you vaguely remember Mabel and Dipper falling to some horror in it, and losing them forced you back to wakefulness. You don’t know what you would do if you lost your elder siblings. Yes, they could grate on your nerves like no one else, but that didn’t mean you wanted them out of your reach for always.

Deciding to take your siblings’ advice, you climbed out of bed to go prod Dipper. He slept through the first couple of gentle jabs, but eventually he struggled awake. He grumbled and squinted his eyes, “Mavis?”

You stood there staring at him as his brain slowly computed the situation. After a moment he clued in and asked, “Nightmare?”

You nodded. He moved over and lifted the blanket. “Come here.”

Gratefully, you slid into bed next to him and cuddled into his side as he draped the blanket over you. He was soon fast asleep again. Settled next to him, you decided that your older siblings were right about crawling into bed with them. This felt better than curling up on your bed alone after a scary dream. Your eyelids slipped closed, and soon you were asleep.

***

(Waking up the next morning to find Mavis still curled against him but at least sleeping is something of a relief. Dipper hadn’t known what else to do about her nightmares and sleep-deprivation except offer her a place next to him. After all, it wasn’t like he could enter her dreams to protect her.

Mabel suddenly popped up from beside his bedside, grinning widely, and he flinched, startled. He stared at her warily, and blinked when she shoved a photo in his face.

It was a picture of him and Mavis sleeping.

That… was kind of creepy, but then again, it was a completely Mabel-thing to take the opportunity to take a picture like that. Besides, mom and dad used to take random pictures of all of them sleeping. Settling back down, Dipper yawned as Mabel disappeared from sight. She was probably going to add that picture to her scrapbook…)

***

You hummed as you walked through the forest, your good mood slipping out as muted music. Despite last night’s nightmare, you had gotten enough sleep to not be cranky or lethargic today. Waking up safe next to Dipper was a major improvement to already being up when Mabel starts stirring for the day.

Swinging your violin case cheerfully, you almost didn’t notice when the forest changed. Cutting off a thought of choosing Dipper over Mabel again in case of future nightmares, you paused in your walk to address the change in your surroundings.

The forest had taken on a distinctly different vibe. Everything seemed… brighter and bit more sparkly… like if Mabel was allowed half… was allowed a _quarter_ -free-reign over redecorating a part of the forest, really.

Pursing your lips, you took a careful look around. You vaguely recall the journal mentioning something like this. Something about unicorns and druids... Setting down your violin case, you pulled out the journal from your satchel and began flipping through it. Ah, yes, this was the magical part of the forest.

Looking up at your surrounding and then back at the journal, you identified the notable places and closed the journal to return it to the satchel. You’d be avoiding the Gnome bar, obviously, but the fairy nail salon seemed worth a look.

Thus, shortly, you found yourself conversing with a pink and purple fairy that had answered your gently knock at the nail salon door.

“Hello! I’m Ceres! It’s been a long time since a human has come to this part of the forest, and even longer since a human came knocking at our door. What is your interest?”

 _Fairies are real._ You mentally shook yourself and asked your question. “What do you accept as payment for your services?”

Ceres flitted close to your face. “Sometimes we are paid in butterflies or sparkly gems, but usually we get food in return for our services. Depending on the food in question, we either expect a lot or a little of a particular food. For example, we like fruit, but depending on which fruit it is, we either accept many or a few or even a singular fruit.” She flew closer to your face, eyes sparkling. “I like mangos, but it has been a _very_ long time since any human or magical creature brought any to this part of the forest. We at the Fairy Nail salon would exhibit our best skills in return for even a single mango.”

“I see,” you murmured. You lifted your hand to show her your chipped, sparkly nail polish. “What would you accept to remove this nail polish?”

Ceres flitted over to examine your fingernails. She leaned in to look closely. “Hmm… if it’s just a removal, I’d say it’ll cost you an apple.” She looked over her shoulder at you. “If you want a full manicure, it’ll be three apples.”

“Apples come in different tastes,” you pointed out.

She shrugged. “Round red ones are usually good.” She made a face. “But no green! Only Hilly likes green apples and she’s not even employed at the salon.”

“Lucky me,” you said, digging around in your satchel for the fruit you packed to include in today’s lunch. You brought out the apple and held it up. “Will this do?”

Ceres flew over to the apple and looked at it from different angles before nodding. “Yep! This’ll do nicely if all you want is a removal.”

“I do,” you confirmed.

Ceres gestured at the door. “Set the apple down inside. I’ll be right back. Better make yourself comfortable, as this may take a while.”

***

(Stan had the ‘bright’ idea of throwing a party at the Mystery Shack. As far as Dipper was concerned, the only good thing about the party was the fact that he and Wendy were going to be working at the ticket table together. Of course, Mabel had to come along and make fun of him. He had just finished explaining Step 9 of his plan to her when Mavis walked into the room at the end of Mabel’s sigh.

“Sis!” Mabel spun on their little sister and gestured at him. “Tell Dipper that he’s being overly complicated with his lists!”

Mavis spoke obediently. “Dipper, you are being overly complicated with your lists.”

He groaned. “Mavis, you don’t even have context! How do you know my list isn’t perfectly simple?”

His little sister just stared at him through half-closed eyes.

“Look,” Mabel said, gesturing to Dipper again. “Dipper has a crush on Wendy—“

“ _What?_ ”

They both blinked at Mavis’s shocked expression. Mabel recovered first. “Well, yeah, Dipper has a crush on Wendy. You… didn’t notice?”

Mavis strode over to her bed and placed her violin case down. “How would I notice when I spend most of my time outside?”

Mabel blinked. “Good point.” She waved her hands and laughed. “Anyway, get this: Dipper volunteered to work at the ticket table just so he could work with Wendy! He’s being a total dork about it and wrote up this complicated list. You know how he gets, right?”

Mavis eyed the list and then looked at his face. “I was wrong, Dipper. You should totally use your list.”

Mabel gasped in mock betrayal. “Mavis!”

“Regardless, what is all this about a party?”

Mabel brightened. “Oh, right! You were already gone when Grunkle Stan decided to throw a party! He’s trying to get kids to come spend money here, so he thought a party would be a good idea. We’ve been getting ready all day!”

“I see.” Mavis picked up her brush and brushed her hair. Once she was done, she turned around and headed for the door.

Dipper looked up from reviewing his list to ask, “Where are you going?”

Mavis waved over her shoulder. “I am going to call Gideon and ask him if he can save me from this ‘party’. It sounds loud with too many people.”

“Don’t run away,” Mabel called, trying to decide between hair ribbons. “Come join the party! We’re getting free admission! Free admission to a party!”

“Not interested,” Mavis called back from the stairs.

“Aw, poo,” Mabel pouted, tying a ribbon into her hair. “I wanted to go to a party with Mavis and I thought this would be the perfect chance.”

Dipper reminded her. “Mavis doesn’t like loud, crowded places.”

Mabel sat down on her bed. “Well, doesn’t that describe most places?”

Folding up his list, Dipper replied, “Yeah, but if she can get away from it, she will.”

Mabel shrugged. “Fair enough.”)

***

Gideon seemed happy you called him for a date outside of Tuesday and Friday. He came with his dad to pick you up, and when you saw the familiar vehicle approaching you ducked your head into the main party room to tell Stan you were leaving.

“I am going out, Great Uncle Stan.”

Stan looked at you in surprise. “What? You’re not staying for the party?”

You frowned slightly. “I do not know where you got the impression I would enjoy a loud party, but I hope my departure disabuses you of the notion in the future. Do no worry. I will merely be out with Gideon. I shall return before midnight.”

“Before ten, if you would,” Stan replied, turning his attention back to his task. “Your parents would skin me alive if they found out I let you out that late.”

“My parents will also lambaste you if I inform them you have upset me with a loud party in your house.”

Your great uncle glared at you. “Blackmail, huh?” He slapped his knee and laughed. “I love it! Eleven PM, sweetie, threats or no threats. That way the party is closer to winding down and I can truthfully tell your parents I never let any of you out past midnight.”

“Very well,” you conceded. With that decided, you headed out the door and let Gideon help you into the vehicle. Your satchel was present, as you weren’t about to leave it behind when a bunch of strangers were running amok below.

***

(There are so few times when Mavis lets her satchel out of her sight. Her dates with Gideon are the most frequent times she leaves it behind, so Dipper decided that those time would be when he’d take a look at the journal.

Watching her leave in the Gleeful vehicle, Dipper strode over to her bed as soon as the vehicle was out of sight. He carefully looked around her bed, searching for the satchel that contained the journal.

“Bro, you really shouldn’t be doing this.”

Of course Mabel is a wet blanket about it and just had to spend time trying to get him to not bother it, but he just let her words wash right over him. He muttered to himself as he searched. “Where is it, where is it…”

After a few minutes wherein he searched the same places, Mabel finally piped up. “She took it with her, bro.”

Dipper popped up from the floor and glared at her. “You couldn’t have told me that earlier?”

She shrugged. “I could have, but I thought you deserved a little punishment for even thinking about doing what you planned to be doing.”

Guiltily, he glanced away from her as he brushed off dust and straightened his bow. “I just want to borrow it now and then, Mabel. I’m not going to run off with it.”

She rolled her eyes. “Riiight. Like you haven’t been eying that satchel with the look a hungry hyena gives a baby animal. I’m just surprise Mavis hasn’t caught on to you. You’re not exactly being subtle.”

Dipper shifted uncomfortably. Mavis hasn’t caught on because she thinks he can do no wrong. She trusts him, and here he is trying to use that trust against her. He slumped.

But he wasn’t going to give up on that journal.)

***

_(He should have given up on that journal. It wasn’t more important than her. Nothing was more important than his sisters._

_He wanted to go back in time and punch his twelve-year-old self in the face. If he could get his hands on another tape-measure time machine he’d go back and do it._

_And after he’d punched himself, he’d tell his younger self honestly:_

_‘It’s not worth losing Mavis.’)_

***

After Gideon returned you home to the Mystery Shack, you did indeed find the party winding down. Slipping past the stragglers, you headed up to the attic and found Mabel there. She bounded over to and nearly shrieked her excitement.

“I met the two best girls ever! Mavis, I found my people!”

That sounded like something you should be mildly concerned about. You half-listened as your sister went on about Candy and Grenda, her new best friends. She wanted to have a sleepover with them and invited you to ‘totally attend’. _Yes, when pigs fly_ , was your general line of thought towards that. 

Mabel was in the middle of informing you about her meeting with Pacifica Northwest when Dipper walked into the room and gave a loud sigh. Mabel laughed at him and shot silly string at his head. Dipper ignored her and flopped down on his bed.

You asked, “Who died?”

Dipper mumbled into his bedding, and you could have sworn you heard ‘rone’. You looked over at Mabel who shrugged back and continued brushing her hair.

Nonplussed, you too shrugged off his behavior as he wasn’t crying. You readied for bed and pulled out your diary to update it while Dipper finally managed to shed his clothes down to his shorts and t-shirt to sleep in.

***

(Entry twenty-two in the diary explains why there are twenty-two entries in less than two whole weeks. Apparently the writer is ‘guilty’ of writing more than one entry per day, while missing other days entirely. This is declared irrelevant before a change in topic.)

_I escaped a party at the Mystery Shack by calling Gideon for an extra date. He took me to a movie and then to dinner. He stayed for a rather long time as I did not want to go back until close to eleven. I do not know how Gideon managed to stay awake so late as I remember that Dipper, Mabel and I all had trouble staying awake past nine when we were his age (nine years old; as though I need that reminder…)._

_Still, I am glad I did not stay for the party. Mabel mentioned running into Pacifica Northwest. Of the Northwest family, I have only heard them mentioned around town, even in the few times I bothered to go. I have heard them mentioned as a powerhouse in town, which prompted me to mention them to Gideon that second time we met. I can say that just from the descriptions Mabel has given me, I do not care for Pacifica. Thank goodness Mabel is made of firmer stuff than most girls, and also that she had a great time with her new friends Candy and Grenda._

(The entry slips into code. When decoded, the paragraph promises retribution upon Pacifica Northwest for trying to bully Mabel.)

_Tomorrow is Pioneer Day. Gideon has invited me to attend with him. I do not care for this ‘Pioneer Day’, but the words of my mother come back to me at times when I decided I do not care or like something when I have not tried it, thus I have agreed to attend with him. He has warned me that Great Uncle Stan does not care for Pioneer Day, so I will not be telling him the whole truth when I tell him where I am going for the day._

_Hopefully he will not be a wet blanket with Mabel and Dipper and prevent them from attending, but we shall see._

_Goodnight,_

_Mavis_

(The twenty-second entry ends.)

**I fear thee not, O untried morrow!**

**~Julia B. Cady, "New-Year Thoughts"**


End file.
